Bestial Conflict
by Xakada
Summary: Is the world a beautiful haven, or a wretched hive? Is life sacred or deplorable? As reality warps around him, a young man gifted with a great power goes on a personal journey to discover if his existence has any value.
1. Introduction

DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING IS A NON-PROFIT, FAN-BASED STORY. AKAME GA KILL & AKAME GA KILL ZERO ARE OWNED BY TAKAHIRO. PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE.

* * *

 **Bestial Conflict**

Introduction

The universe was a wondrous spectacle.

Full of life and wonder, the numerous superclusters within the universe shone with their nebulae and dwarf stars. Among these stars was a galaxy that had a special array of cosmic rays that shone with splendor. This galaxy contained a solar system with a splendid yellow sun and its own planets. One planet was red hot and covered with fire while another one was almost completely made out of water. In the center was a planet that had a perfect division of land, water, and atmosphere. Its name, given by its primary inhabitants called humans, was Gaea.

Gaea was special in that it had the biggest diversity of life in the system, ranging from animals to plants to other creatures. Animals had great strength and abilities which they used for hunting. Plants could grow to colossal sizes. The humans who lived there were happy with their planet, as its life force had kept them alive for many centuries. The best part about Gaea was that its life force had produced an extraordinary energy that the humans decided to call magic. Magic was used for all sorts of wonders, such as instantly starting a fire, to cutting a field of grass with one wide swoop of the arm. Six continents were spaced out on the planet, called Meyen, Kreicrai, Ioshuin, Plutauhax, Epexone, and Uaroxos. Each continent used magic for different purposes and traded with each other for mutual benefits.

Meyen, located in the southwest, was the most natural continent with rocky mountains and canyons spread out through the continent. The locals specialized in earth magic and applied it to assembling goods and sculpting, enjoying the outdoors. Its famous sculpture fields attracted many visitors to see the locals at their work, marveling at the locals' amused acceptance of the bestial attacks and stampedes that were common to the continent.

Kreicrai, settled in the northwest, was a vast mass of tall trees and other plant life. The residents used wind magic for forestry and wildlife. The continent was considered the transport hub of Gaea because of how advanced its transportation systems were. Its main transport system was the Chuza Chutes, wind-powered tubes that could carry people, animals, and other items across the continent at amazing speeds. This system, combined with the high altitudes of the continent, gave commuting a wild and chaotic flair. The Chuza Hub was the central chute station, as well as the administration center where the wind magic powering the chutes was controlled. Kreicrai also sported a region called the Test Pit, where magical vehicles were made and tested by residents. Vehicles included aerial ships, fast ground vehicles called 'karts' and more.

Ioshuin, up in the northern part of Gaea, was a cold, icy continent with tall mountains and beautiful snow. The residents used ice magic to create homes and transport goods. This region was more tundra-like at its outer borders, but was bitterly cold and snowy near the pole of Gaea. The climate difference reflected on its population, with numerous people living on the tundra and barely anybody living in the icy mountains. Locals were natural hunters, striving to find new and effective ways to hunt and survive.

Plutauhax, located in the northeast, was a rather plain looking region that barely got any sunlight due do it being so close to a pole. However, the continent produced massive amounts of electrical energy, powering the landscape so it looked like it was literally glowing with energy. The residents used lightning magic for energy conservation and research. The residents used lightning to capture various beasts and items and put them in a massive underground museum called the Morkana Archives, in which archivists worked hard to preserve the history of Gaea.

Epexone, located in the southeast, was almost completely made out of water. The landscape was altered over time to accommodate humans on island-like hubs. The locals applied water magic to their crops, making them grow beautifully. Water was also purified and sent to the other continents. Epexone was considered the learning hub of Gaea, as it contained the most schools and research labs on the planet. Its beautiful structure made it the most peaceful continent on Gaea. Epexone housed the Yius Temple, the spiritual center of Gaea, where people could meditate in peace.

Uaroxos, nestled down south, was a volcanic wasteland, beguiled by scorching hot temperatures that made the region the least populated and the least visited. Residents used fire magic to forge and manufacture products from lava-powered foundries. Various weapons were created in the hot magma chambers of Uaroxos, and they were said to be the toughest and sharpest weapons on the planet.

However, these continents weren't the main source of magic on Gaea. The most bountiful magic spring was on the 7th and central continent of the planet which all the other continents were connected to, named Aelehica. Aelehica was an enormous continent, taking up about one third of Gaea's surface. It was a beautiful continent, with a practically perfect balance of climates and landscapes from the other continents. It was also the only continent that had its own kingdom. While the other continents had countries that acted independently with various exceptions such as the Morkana Archives, Aelehica had a commonwealth that had existed on Gaea for centuries. It was called the Aumilia Empire. This empire had the majority of Gaea's population living in its borders, and its capital city, Vreathia, was majestic in its size and beauty. The empire's control over Aelehica gave it no motivation to expand its borders to the other continents. Aumilia had made many progressions for Gaea, such as expanding its magic to include nature, poison, and other elements.

Despite this, its greatest achievement eclipses all its other endeavors, and that achievement is the creation of the Teigu. These relics were made to protect the Empire from any threats, and they channeled the most potent magic on Gaea. If someone found a Teigu, their power would increase exponentially and they would become a magnificent fighter. Over the centuries, the Teigu have changed hands over and over again. Even the most advanced scholars in Epexone couldn't estimate how many Teigu were on Gaea due to its frequent wielder switching. The Teigu have protected the Aumilia Empire and Gaea for all this time. However, the Teigu hold a terrible secret.

During their forging, various animals with higher magic levels roamed Gaea. These magic infused animals were classified as Beasts. Beasts that were considered dangerous to humans were labeled as Danger Beasts. The Teigu were used to hunt and nullify danger beasts over the years. Yet, Danger Beasts did not contribute to the deadly secret of the Teigu. There was a Beast class that surpassed Danger Beasts. These animals were said to be living embodiments of primal magic with the destructive capacity to level entire countries with one blast. These beasts were known as Wrath Beasts. Wrath Beasts were extremely rare and nigh unstoppable to defeat. So, in response, humans decided to seal the Wrath Beasts inside each Teigu. Over the Aumilia Empire's history, every Wrath Beast was sealed inside a corresponding Teigu, and in the present day, Wrath Beasts are considered 'extinct', with their only mention being in folk tales and the Morkana Archives. Unfortunately, none of the Wrath Beasts were killed, but instead made dormant inside the Teigu. If there ever came a time when the Wrath Beast would awaken, they would slowly take over the human through their Teigu until their seal would break, killing the Teigu user and freeing the Wrath Beast inside, allowing it to wreak havoc once again. Thankfully, none of the Wrath Beasts have a magic force strong enough to break their sealed dormancy.

All of them, that is, except for one.

This beast wasn't like the other Wrath Beasts. This beast was considered the ultimate life form, a terror to behold and impossible to combat. The beast was the last of the Wrath Beasts to be sealed, and even then its magic force was too strong to be put to sleep. The beast waits in anticipation for an unassuming human to pick up its host Teigu, and then the beast plans to break out and raze Gaea until nothing is left.

However, a change of events is coming over the Aumilia Empire, a chain reaction that will change Gaea forever. This beast will experience sensations it hasn't felt since the early days of the Empire, when a civil war almost turned into a global apocalypse. That time, the beast had joined with a human that nurtured and loved it along with its fellow Wrath Beasts and Teigu users to combat a psychotic overlord that threatened to remake Gaea into a living hell with a demonic power that surpassed anything the beast had ever known. Now, the beast will join with another human, who will go on a journey to find his place in life and become so much more.

But first, let us see just how that Wrath Beast managed to get sealed, shall we?


	2. Prologue: A Dragon Laid Dormant

DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING IS A NON-PROFIT, FAN-BASED STORY. AKAME GA KILL & AKAME GA KILL ZERO ARE OWNED BY TAKAHIRO. PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE.

* * *

 **Bestial Conflict**

 **Prologue**

A Dragon Laid Dormant

* * *

 _Gaea/Year 965/Orzana, Aelehica_

"CLEAR THE VILLAGE IMMEDIATELY!"

'ALL SOLIDERS FORM A PERIMETER AROUND THE LAKE!"

"Oh Yao, what the hell's happening?!"

"Move! I need to find my family!"

The young army officer jumped back as a stream of citizens rushed through the village gate. Many men desperately hounded their scared families as they evacuated. Soldiers poured in, guns and cannons at the ready. The officer gulped down his fear, struggling to unsheathe his spear. He had been told that the Teigu reinforcements would be here soon so the beast wouldn't be able to attack Vreathia. Even so, the man still had doubts that they could be of any use.

"Jurani! We need you by the tree enclosure in case we can't contain it!"

The army officer started, shaken from this thoughts, and quickly answered his commanding officer back with a confidence he wished he really had, "Yes, sir!"

The brisk night air fell quiet with thousands of soldiers taking their positions. Jurani recalled the description of the Wrath Beast he heard back at Vreathia. Colossal, malevolent, and possessing enough power to destroy the entire Empire easily. He shook off his worry as the sky suddenly became darker than usual. The beast's warning card was sudden darkness over the area it intended to attack, and Jurani cocked his automatic crossbow, preparing for the worst. The army whispered uncertainly as the barely visible clouds in the night sky slowly began to shift their position. Jurani watched with a confused expression on his face.

And then a gust of wind with power equal to a level 12 Meyen tornado blew the clouds and the army away. Jurani yelled in surprise as he was blown back hundreds of feet into a tree. He hit the tree rather hard, and he could tell his arm would have a moderate bruise in the morning. He quickly collected himself and turned his attention to the sky again-and wished to Yao that he could be anywhere else doing anything else, because what he saw made him completely speechless. His entire body went whiter than a sheet of paper, and he could feel the piss and shit running down his pants. He never thought a creature like this could exist in the universe he lived in, and yet there it was. The beast blocked out the entire night sky, moon and all, with its sheer size, which Jurani likened to Mt. Rakiri, the biggest and tallest mountain on Gaea. Mt. Rakiri was reported to be kilometers high and wide, and the beast seemed to eclipse even that. As the beast came lower to the ground, Jurani's worst fears were confirmed.

The Wrath Beast was a dragon.

The dragon had four limbs with wicked looking claws on the ends. Its wings were gigantic and made the dragon look like a wraith from Jurani's worst nightmare. It had a tail that seemed to extend into the horizon and looked like a knife straight out of hell. The dragon's body was lined with monstrous scales that gleamed like the newest armor from Uaroxos. It had an evil looking neck that led up to a head that could have belonged to the devil himself. Its head had horns that could impale the largest bird on the planet. It seemed to have some sort of mane that gave way to a sharp spinal scale chain that stretched all the way down to its tail end. But the most horrifying part of the dragon was its face. Its eyes were unlike anything Jurani had ever seen. They were pure red with a white hot pupil in the center. They seemed to illuminate the dragon's blue-hued body with a red temperament. It bared its teeth, and Jurani thought they were swords, so large and sharp were they. The dragon landed with a resounding THUD, shaking the ground like an earthquake and causing the army to lose their footing. The dragon looked at the army, and Jurani could practically catch the anger, disgust and hatred dripping from the dragon's eyes. The army was stunned with fear, no one making a move. The dragon glanced from one portion of soldiers to another, and it broke out a wicked grin that would terrify the most emotionless warrior on Gaea. And then, Jurani took cover as a white-hot blast of fire exploded out of the dragon's mouth, incinerating the entire lake and the soldiers still in it. As the bloodcurdling screams echoed across the land, Jurani thought to himself in desperation, "How the hell do we fight that monster?!"

The dragon unleashed electrical blasts from its eyes as it mauled the army viciously, its claws and teeth becoming stained with the blood and organs of soldiers. He marveled at his handiwork, remembering how long it had taken him to accumulate this level of power. Centuries ago, the dragon had been nothing more than a small lizard trying desperately to survive. Over time, however, the creature learned to use its magic force to adapt to any situation it might encounter, until the lizard had grown from a rather unappealing reptile to a draconic weapon of mass destruction. He bitterly recalled how various cultures from all across Gaea had tried to take advantage of his growing power, whether it be as a weapon or a power supplier. Each conqueror had treated the dragon as an object, a toy not worth talking to or trying to appeal to its better nature. Everyone had tried to use force to subjugate the dragon, and he had in turn obliterated his oppressors. Every. Time. The dragon had experienced the cruelty of humans, and his hatred and resentment of them grew until he decided to kill them all and rule a beast-dominated Gaea. As the last Wrath Beast remaining, he knew the humans would do everything in their power to stop him. Not that it mattered. He was too strong for any of them, and he knew it. The dragon continued to wreak havoc on the army by sweeping its ice-protected tail at them, destroying cannons and freezing an entire battalion in one strike.

Jurani fired his crossbow pathetically. Not one of the army's advanced weapons had even scratched the dragon. He felt helpless as the dragon moved closer to his position. Jurani remembered his family wishing him well and his girlfriend forcing him to promise to return to Vreathia in one piece. "Looks like that promise couldn't be kept.", he thought to himself dejectedly as the dragon stalked over to the tree enclosure. The beast aimed his head, and Jurani could see a mass of magic forming in its throat. Jurani braced himself for death as the dragon fired, hoping that the afterlife would be a better experience.

Suddenly, an object struck the bolt of energy into the sky, where it exploded in a blinding light. Jurani gasped in surprise. Who could have been fast and strong enough to deflect a blast from that beast? He turned and saw a man standing behind him. The man looked to be about his twenties. He had a white uniform with a mysterious emblem on his chest. He carried a stave-like weapon with blades sprouting from it. Bull-like horns extended out of his head, adorned with blue hair. He had dark blue eyes and a serious expression on his face.

"Um, thank you for saving my life!" Jurani stammered. "Who are you?"

The man looked at him and said in a serious but tender voice, "I am someone who helps by all means. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I think so. How did you-" Jurani was cut off by several figures dashing past him. As he turned to look at them, he recognized their weapons. The Teigu backup had arrived at last.

"Batro!", one of them called. "See if you can web up his tail!" "Say no more!" the other man responded eagerly, and a mysterious thread shot out of a gauntlet-like weapon on his hand. The beast growled in surprise as the surprisingly strong thread webbed around his tail and pulled it onto his body, preventing the beast from using it. "Good job, Batro! I'll try to stun 'im with Pumpkin!"

"There's no way in hell this situation doesn't count as a pinch, Umbara!" said a woman who seemed to be flying with angel-like wings. "You better aim like you were blasting the fraggin' devil apart!"

"I always do, Sivern!" Umbara replied as his weapon charged up with magic. "Take it, you reptilian bastard!" he roared as an orange laser shot out of his giant gun. The laser struck the dragon right on the head and the energy rained onto his body. The dragon hissed angrily as its entire body was immobilized by the blast.

Jurani exclaimed excitedly, "Fuck, that was awesome!" The blue-haired man turned to him and said, "You should return to Vreathia. We'll take care of this."

"Are you sure?" Jurani asked uncertainly. He wasn't sure that even these guys could take down that dragon, and he wanted to help in any way we can.

"Yes. Tell your chief that the dragon was subdued and the Empire can call off the crimson alert.", the horned man replied. Jurani could tell from the look in his eyes that he was confident in his ability.

"All right then. I'll try to give you guys credit!", the young soldier stated as he gathered his weapons and ran towards the capital, his experience burned into his mind forever.

The horned man watched him go before approaching the dragon, the other Teigu users gathering behind him as he took out a unique scabbard that had a mysterious pattern on it. He had been warned when to use it, and the Teigu team had already helped him round up the other beasts for him. Now, he had to fulfill his old master's wishes and protect Gaea.

The dragon growled angrily. It had seen the other Teigu in battle before, and they were nowhere near as strong as they were now. The only way their power could have increased was if he had come, but the monster doubted that it would last long. He saw the horned man take out his scabbard, and he instantly recognized it with a snort of disbelief.

It was the Teigu of the only human who ever treated him like a fellow being and not a thing. The only human who called the dragon by its real name.

The dragon remembered the face of his old master, with that eager grin and love for battle. It had joined with him in that civil war that should have ended quickly, but quickly escalated thanks to the aspirations of a madman that still haunted the dragon to the present day. It, along with the other Wrath Beasts, had helped his master to defeat the madman and his power from hell. After the war ended, his master had set it and the other beasts free, so that they could live peaceful lives. Unfortunately, humans weren't as nice as his master had been. Slowly, the dragon had begun to notice the other Wrath Beasts disappearing. He had heard of the champion Wrath Beast of Ioshuin, whose dominion over ice echoed great stories over Gaea, being subdued and vanishing from the continent. The dragon had heard something about a blood-like liquid related to the ice beast, but the dragon didn't have enough information to make a conclusion. Even the dragon's most prominent and powerful rival, being the great aquatic monstrosity it was, had vanished. The dragon suspected the horned man to have something to do with the mystery, but he couldn't confirm it until now. The dragon stared menacingly at the blue-haired man as he held out the scabbard.

"It is time for you to be neutered so Gaea can live in peace!" The horned man shouted as the scabbard glowed and hit the dragon with a blinding ray of light. The dragon roared a terrible, bone-chilling cry of rage as it tried to fly away, but to no avail. The dragon distorted as it was being absorbed into the scabbard. With one final scream of hatred, the dragon disappeared into the scabbard in a flash of blue.

"It's finally done." The horned man sighed as the other Teigu users cheered, their battle finally over. "You can all go back to your homes. Thank you for helping me seal the Wrath Beasts.", the blue-haired man said.

"No prob! Call us if you have any other beast problems!" Sivern exclaimed happily as she took her friends and flew off into the distance. The horned man looked on as he stood alone in the ruined village, the sudden quietness broken by the stench of roasted bodies. He remembered his master telling him to seal the beasts in case they were ever in mortal danger. He hadn't expected to seal the beast to put Gaea out of mortal danger. Satisfied, he put the scabbard under his coat and ran off to the west. He would hide himself and his master's teigu somewhere, and then he would go back into dormancy until a warrior worthy of the teigu would claim it. The horned man hoped that the man would have the mental fortitude to stand against all odds, as he feared that the dragon, as powerful as it was, wouldn't take being sealed lying down…

The dragon awoke with a shout as it took in its surroundings. It was surrounded by a special, comforting magic that he identified as the magic of his master's teigu. He raised one claw to the magic and was instantly pushed back. The dragon realized that it had been sealed, and it growled with pure anger and hatred, furious that its plan had been foiled. Then, the dragon's rage-filled hiss turned into a gratified purr as it lay down. He knew that eventually, some asshole would pick up the Teigu, and when that happened, the dragon would break out and continue its human extermination as if nothing had changed. Besides, it wasn't like any human would have the heart his old master had. The dragon slipped into a nap as it lay inside the Teigu.

Waiting.


	3. Chapter 1: A Wild Encounter

DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING IS A NON-PROFIT, FAN-BASED STORY. AKAME GA KILL & AKAME GA KILL ZERO ARE OWNED BY TAKAHIRO. PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE.

* * *

 **Bestial Conflict**

 **Chapter 1**

A Wild Encounter

* * *

 _Gaea/Year 1024/Route 14, Aelehica_

"Help me out here! They're eating the blubber!"

"In case you didn't notice, I'm currently occupied with getting these damn mutts off my legs!"

The two villagers panicked as the pack of wild beasts gnawed away at their supply of animal blubber they had collected in the wilderness. Their payment for the week-and their lives-were in jeopardy. The boy swung his axe like a maniac at the animals, hoping that the show of force would scare them off. It didn't work.

The girl stood on top of their cart, firing arrows from her bow at any beast that tried to jump onto the meat. Although they were putting up a good fight, it was clear that they would eventually be overwhelmed.

The boy panted, "Can't…keep this up…gotta get help."

The girl responded desperately, "It's just us! No one comes onto Route 14 this early in the morning! We'll need a miracle!"

"Did somebody ask for a miracle?"

The villagers turned around in surprise at the voice behind their backs. There, shadowed by the rising sun, was a young man with disheveled brown hair, green eyes, casual clothing, and a friendly disposition.

"Guess now's a better time than ever to practice for my job!" he said with a confident smirk on his face.

The beasts turned at the sound of another human and immediately jumped off the blubber, growling as they stalked towards the stranger. The stranger went into a fighting stance and analyzed his opponents. Seven dog-based beasts, hungry, and aggressive towards unwanted visitors. This would be a cinch.

The beasts jumped at him with a roar. The stranger clasped his palms together and shouted, "Celes Gust!" Suddenly, a gigantic burst of air knocked the beasts flat on their backs, completely stunning them. The villagers watched in astonishment at the stranger's display of power.

As the beasts were collecting themselves, the stranger reached behind his back and drew out a finely made sword. He swirled it above his head, generating a revolving current of wind. The beasts, completely mesmerized by the sword, jumped as the stranger suddenly stabbed it into the ground, creating a miniature shockwave of air in the process. The stranger said with a friendly tone, "These people aren't your enemies. Leave them alone, and I'll give you what you want."

The beasts looked confused, buy stayed still. The stranger smiled and took out a bag of jerky from his jacket. The beasts instantly drooled at the sight of the meat.

"Here, have your fill!" The stranger said as he threw the jerky into a clearing on the side of the route. The beasts charged towards the bag, ripped it open, and began devouring the jerky at an incredibly fast rate. They finished the entire bag in 15 seconds, and turned towards the stranger again. The villagers tensed up, but they saw that the beasts were no longer aggressive. They looked at the stranger with satisfied expressions on their faces and ran back off into the wilderness, barking with pleasure as they did so.

The stranger chuckled as he walked towards the villagers. "Yaja jerky. Comes in small amounts, but fills you up like nothin' else. You guys OK?"

The girl stammered, "Uh, yeah. Thank you so much...Um, who are you?"

The stranger grinned and pointed his thumb at himself as he proclaimed, "Tatsumi Vritra, aspiring beast hunter for the Aumilian Army and ass-kicker extraordinaire! Who are you guys?"

The girl responded, "Oh, I'm Sayo Ferenta, and my friend is Ieya-" She stopped suddenly as she saw her friend still standing by the cart with his mouth wide open.

"HOLY CRAP! WHERE'D YOU LEARN ALL THAT COOL SHIT?! COULD YOU TEACH ME? THAT WAS SO AWESOME! ARE YOU A MA-"

"Ieyasu!" Sayo shouted, irritated. Ieyasu stopped his rambling and stared at Sayo with a confused expression. Then he babbled, "OH! Sorry, Sayo!" He walked up to Tatsumi and shook his hand with frantic energy, shooting off rapidly, "I'm Ieyasu Gorongi! It's awesome to meet you! I'm a hunter working for nobility!"

Tatsumi looked at him with a mixture of amusement and worry in his eyes. "Uh, nice to meet you too. So, you guys need any more help?"

Sayo replied, "Oh, no thanks. We were just going back to Joyou. Thank you so much for saving us!"

Tatsumi waved his hand dismissively as he said, "Eh, don't mention it. Well, see you."

"See you too!" Ieyasu replied. The two young people went back to their cart and filled a compartment in the back with a magical substance. Fan-like objects protruded out of the cart and began propelling the cart as they climbed back on and grabbed a wheel on the front, steering the cart down the route. As they rode, Ieyasu said to Sayo, "You think that guy was a mage?"

Sayo replied, "Of course. Anybody that can generate wind for combat uses has to be using magic. He seems to be skilled with it, so I'd guess he was from Kreicrai."

Ieyasu said with shock, "KREICRAI?! B-B-But that place's where all the lunatics come from!"

"WHO YOU CALLING LUNATIC, SHITHEAD?!"

Ieyasu screamed like a little girl with surprise as he saw Tatsumi sitting on top of the cart, yelling with a comical expression of anger on his face.

Sayo gasped and shouted, "WHAT THE-How the hell'd you get on?!"

Tatsumi's mood instantly changed from fury to embarrassment. "Oh, uh, well, I heard you guys say you were going to a city, and, uh, I got tired of walking, so I, uh, hitched a ride so that I could rest, and, uh…"

Sayo smirked as she said, "You were lost, weren't you?"

"What?! Lost?!" Tatsumi shouted as he gave the fakest laugh Sayo and Ieyasu had ever heard. "Are you kidding? Me, lost? I was just resting my legs, and I felt like having company, and…" Tatsumi slumped down between the two villagers and mumbled in a defeated tone, "Yeah. I'm lost."

Ieyasu grinned and said, 'Well, why didn't you just say so, scatterbrain? We'll take you where you need to go, and if you want, we'll let you stay with us!"

Tatsumi jumped up in surprise. "Y-You will?"

Sayo giggled. "Yeah! It's the least we can do after you saved us from those beasts. You can stay as long as you like, provided you don't make a mess out of our house."

Tatsumi yelled happily, "Aw, damn, guys, you're awesome! If I make it into the army, don't tell anyone about my direction problems, ok?

Sayo smiled. "You're secret's safe with us, Tatsumi."

Tatsumi smiled and laid back in the cart with a contented sigh, getting comfortable. "So, how long is it to this Joyou place?

Ieyasu replied, "'Bout an hour. While we ride, how 'bout you tell us about yourself, since we already know you're from Kreicrai with that reaction?" he asked with a smug smile.

Tatsumi got slightly miffed and responded, "Hey, don't be a smartass about it. Kreicrai was my home for my whole childhood. It's pretty special to me."

Sayo asked curiously, "How'd you manage to grow up on a continent as chaotic as Kreicrai?"

Tatsumi said, "Long story. Good thing we have time!"

* * *

Tatsumi Vritra was born in the Year 1004 in the city of Muko, Kreicrai. The continent was considered the worst place on Gaea to raise a child for good reasons. The continent itself was lush with trees and forests that were raised to extremely high altitudes that people had to traverse daily. In addition, the residents were addicted to thrills due to their mastery over wind magic, which allowed them to move through the air with ease and quelled any fear of heights. Fights were a common sight in Kreicrai, with up to 15 fights in one city alone per day. The people used wind to their advantage in combat, delivering hand chops that could slice open rock like paper. With a society as crazy as this, Tatsumi had to learn quickly so he wouldn't be accidentally murdered by his neighbors . He had a family whose men were fight fanatics, teaching the young child self-defense while the boy went to school to learn about a species that he found fascinating. This species, of course, was the beast species. When Tatsumi was six years old, he found a pack of bird beasts nesting outside his house. They stayed there for two weeks before moving out, and in that time, Tatsumi had observed them, admiring their ways of survival and protective ferocity. After that, he wanted to learn as much about beasts as possible. The boy wasn't very good at anything else he tried, so he decided in his adolescent years to become a beast hunter in the Aumilian army when he became an adult. To achieve this, he attended school full-time, graduating from his city's academy with a master's badge in beastology. After his 20th birthday, Tatsumi left his village to go to Aelehica in order to start his new life. However, Aelehica was unfamiliar to him, and he'd managed to misplace his map on the chute ride to the continent. He'd wandered around for a while until coming across Sayo and Ieyasu. As he talked with them, he learned why they'd been on Route 14. Sayo, an attractive teenage girl with long black hair, matching black eyes and a villager's outfit, was a resident of Aelehica who came from a lower-class family. She'd been looking for various jobs until she met Ieyasu, another teenager, who had dark brown hair, brown eyes, and his own villager outfit with a white headband. Ieyasu was in the same situation as Sayo, and they had decided to team up to work for a noble family. They'd been gathering beast blubber for food storage when they'd been attacked. The three travelers talked all the way to Joyou.

* * *

 _Joyou, Aelehica- An hour later_

"Huh. This is where you guys live?" asked Tatsumi, staring at a modest looking hut located in a collection of other huts.

"Yeah, for now." Sayo sighed. "Hopefully, we can get enough money over the next few months to get a better house, after which-"

"We'll be rich and famous!" Ieyasu interrupted excitedly. "The whole empire will marvel at the self-made billionaires Ieyasu Gorongi and Sayo Ferenta!"

Sayo rolled her eyes. "Reality before fantasy, Ieyasu. Get Tatsumi situated while I drop off the blubber at the mansion." She jumped back on the cart. "I'll be back later!"

"Later, Sayo!" The boys called after her as she rode off.

Ieyasu turned to Tatsumi with fervor in his eyes. "Man, I've never had a male roommate before! Here, I'll show you around!"

Tatsumi followed the hyperactive boy as they entered the house. It was on the smaller side and rather modest-looking, with a kitchen, small living room, and two bunk beds.

"Well, this is it," Ieyasu sighed. "It's not much, but it's got a kitchen, bathroom, and beds, so what's ours is yours, I guess."

"Thanks, man." Tatsumi said. He put his backpack next to the empty bunk and grabbed his favorite book, ' _The Legend of the Wrath Beasts'_. He plumped down onto one of the chairs in the living room. "You know where the nearest recruiting station is?"

"Yeah. 'Bout three blocks from here. Turn to the right. Can't miss it, there's a big-ass sign next to it."

"Cool. What's for breakfast?"

"Sayo's making pancakes and eggs. Damn, that girl can cook. I envy the man who becomes _her_ wife." Ieyasu said dreamily as he sat on another chair with a book, drool trickling from the left side of his mouth.

Tatsumi got hungry just from hearing Ieyasu's description of the food. He thought to himself, " _Damn, I'm lucky. I thought the first people who'd see me would just ditch me, but these guys are really nice. If I get the job, I gotta send some money to them. They sure as hell need it."_ He sighed contentedly as he and Ieyasu waited for Sayo, thinking about what his life would be like as a beast hunter. Tatsumi hoped that Yao would be kind to him as he contemplated the future ahead of him.


	4. Chapter 2: A Crisis In Jovou

DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING IS A NON-PROFIT, FAN-BASED STORY. AKAME GA KILL & AKAME GA KILL ZERO ARE OWNED BY TAKAHIRO. PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE.

* * *

 **Bestial Conflict**

 **Chapter 2**

A Crisis in Jovou

* * *

 _Gaea/Year 1024/Jovou, Aelehica_

Tatsumi groaned as he devoured a chicken sandwich in the town square, still unhappy over the events of the morning. After eating breakfast, he'd gone down to the military recruitment station to register as a beast hunter for the army. He'd been ushered into a room where he gave his personal information and took a holopicture of himself for his military badge. He had to undergo a combat test, where he was pitted against twenty wooden dummies. He passed the test with flying colors, combining his street fighting style with his wind magic to destroy every dummy in 15 seconds. Tatsumi was told there would be one more test, and he was ecstatic about how well his tryout was going. However, it all came crashing down at the last test, which was beast control. While Tatsumi hadn't done _poorly_ , he just went rather overboard. He'd been surrounded by fifteen beaver beasts, and his task had been to calm them and take control of them. Tatsumi used a shard of wood left over from the dummies to ease the beasts' aggression, calming them enough for the beasts to trust Tatsumi. Unfortunately, Tatsumi underestimated his abilities and pointed the beasts towards the exam judges, intending for them to go back to their masters. Instead, the beasts had savagely attacked the judges, freaking out the young man. He desperately called for them to stop, which to everyone's surprise, they immediately ran back to Tatsumi and surrounded him like a miniature squadron, waiting further instructions. The judges marveled at the boy's talent for beast control, but were worried that Tatsumi's ability could inadvertently allow him to create his own beast army, giving him enough power to pose a threat to the Empire's defenses. With this in mind, the judges had congratulated Tatsumi's performance, but declared that he was 'overqualified' and should look for a different job related to beasts. Disappointed and dejected, Tatsumi left the station and bought lunch from a street vendor, and he scarfed down the sandwich in silence, wondering what he could have done differently.

" _I should've just stopped everything when they calmed down. I mean, how the fuck was I supposed to know they'd go batshit on the examiners? No beast ever did that when I was still in the academy. Damnit, what am I gonna do now?"_

A baritone voice interrupted Tatsumi's thoughts. "You fight as barbarically as you eat?"

Tatsumi turned in surprise. Standing next to his bench on the right was a muscular young man. He was about six feet tall, had blue eyes, and had the most ridiculous pompadour Tatsumi had ever seen. He wore an armored outfit with a black leather jacket on top. The man looked at him with a curious but playful expression.

Tatsumi stared at him, annoyed. "Depends on whether I feel as stupid as your hair."

The man laughed heartily. "Well played, kid. Mind if I join you?"

Tatsumi motioned his approval. The man sat next to him, pulling out a fish sandwich from a paper bag he was carrying. He started eating, and to Tatsumi's amusement, the big man was just as ravenous as Tatsumi, finishing the sandwich in half a minute.

The big man wiped his mouth with his sleeve and continued talking. "So, I heard you gave the examiners one hell of an up-close tour of beaver beasts."

Tatsumi was embarrassed. "Wha-how'd you know?"

The big man chuckled. "It's all over Jovou, kid. In a town as quiet as this, anything out of the ordinary is headline news. What's your name?"

Tatsumi sighed. "Tatsumi Vritra, failed applicant for the Aumilian army and ass-kicker only in name."

The big man extended his hand. "Bulat Humaki. Not often I find people as strong as you in places like this. Pleasure to meet you."

Tatsumi shook his hand, nearly curling up with pain at the man's iron grip. He cradled his hand while asking in a high pitched voice, "So, what brings you here?"

Bulat smiled. "I'm on assignment from my boss. We've tracked a criminal group down to this town."

Tatsumi scoffed. "Criminals? Here? Who are they? More importantly, what kinda job do you have?

Bulat leaned back in the bench with a sigh. "I used to be an officer in the army. Trained under the strongest martial arts master of the age. I scored many victories for Aumilia. People started calling me '100 Man Slayer Bulat'.

Tatsumi chuckled. "Well, that's not cheesy at all."

Bulat grinned. "Yeah, the name was tacky as hell, but it still gave me recognition. I loved being a solider, protecting people. It was my calling."

Tatsumi looked at him with curiosity. "So…What happened? Did you get laid off? You quit or something?

Bulat's happy expression changed to a solemn stare. "Kid, what have you heard about the Aumilia Empire?"

Tatsumi hesitated, unnerved by Bulat's sudden attitude change. "Well…It's apparently supposed to be the 'crown jewel' of Gaea and crap like that. This place is where everybody comes to live a peaceful and prosperous life, away from the shut-in societies of our home continents. Uh, why are you asking me this?"

Bulat continued. "The Aumilia Empire, from the outside perspective, is pretty glorious. Who wouldn't want to come here, what with the diverse climates, bountiful resources, and great community? Hell, if you even go to the main cities and Vreathia itself, you wouldn't see anything questionable or wrong."

"But on the inside, the Empire's been deteriorating. It's slow enough that nobody would notice, but if you go looking for corruption on Aelehica, you won't have to search long."

Tatsumi looked at Bulat seriously. "Tell me what happened."

Bulat glanced at Tatsumi, his solemn mood still prevalent. "It all started when the previous Emperor and his wife suddenly died of controversial causes. Reports say that the royal couple were stricken by a sudden illness, but classified autopsy files suggest that they were poisoned."

Tatsumi exhaled sharply. "Damn, they were murdered? How old was their kid?"

Bulat answered, "At the time, the prince was just 12 years old. According to tradition, if the Emperor couldn't continue his rule for various reasons, the person next in line would have to have a new council chosen. Any previous council members would be relieved and given free retirement funds as compensation. The new council, for the most part, had good people chosen, some even more benevolent that their predecessors."

"But then everything started to collapse when it was time to choose the Prime Minister. The last Prime Minister, Chouri Omake, was a good man who served well under the previous Emperor. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for his successor."

Tatsumi said uncertainly, "How bad is he?"

Bulat gritted his teeth. "His name is Honest Ugarkak. When he was chosen, the council took a disliking to him due to his gluttony, arrogant attitude, and obvious lust for power. He gave the young Emperor poor advice that confused the kid, which is the last thing you want to happen to the ruler of your kingdom. Over time, Honest began to engage in criminal activities, such as bribing nobility to support his decisions, and making anybody who disagreed with him mysteriously vanish. It's been three years since he was chosen, and in that period, he's managed to scare the council into keeping quiet whenever he commits crimes, and he's also spread corruption throughout Aelehica, promoting criminal scum like the pieces of shit I'm after now."

Tatsumi thought for a bit and then asked Bulat, "If this shit's all real, then what caused you to lose your job?"

Bulat frowned. "My commanding officer disobeyed an order from Honest to raid Plutauhax's Morkana Archives of their treasures. In response, Honest managed to frame him for the death of several citizens killed in a mining accident on Plutauhax. I was the only one who tried to defend him, but I was unsuccessful. He was stripped of his title and imprisoned, while I was kicked out of the army for being a 'co-conspirator' in the killing. With my rank lost and former glory ruined, I wandered Gaea for months, searching for a new purpose in life."

"Then one day, while I was hunting in the woods near Vreathia, I met my boss. She knew who I was and-"

"Whoawhoawhoa, hold up," Tatsumi interrupted, "your boss is a she?"

Bulat smirked. "What, you think women can't hold authority?"

Tatsumi blushed. "I didn't mean it like _that_. It's just that I'm from Kreicrai, where the men usually hold all the tough jobs. It's just unusual for me, that's all."

Bulat looked at Tatsumi with surprise. "You're from Kreicrai? You're tougher than I thought! I'm pure Aelehican, and I didn't think any Kreicraians could be as controlled as you!"

Tatsumi flustered. "What's that supposed to mean, greaser?!"

Bulat withdrew. "Oh, sorry, my apologies. I still have to get rid of my prejudice."

Tatsumi waved it off. "Eh, forget about it, man. You were saying?"

Bulat sat back up with a jolt. "Right! So, anyway, she offered me a place to live comfortably, and she hired me to do some jobs for clients who need our assistance."

Tatsumi looked at Bulat with a confused look. "Wait a sec…your boss doesn't work for any other people?

Bulat looked away. "Ah…nooo…"

Tatsumi was suspicious. "So…you guys are basically mercenaries?"

Bulat hesitated before answering. "…Pretty much, but we don't disturb the peace or anything. Besides, we have to be mercs in order to avoid any corruption in the law."

Tatsumi blinked. "I…guess that makes sense. Do you work with anyone else?"

Bulat sprouted a sly smile. "Not yet. The boss's assigned me to look for other people who were in my situation and who have good abilities to recruit for our team."

Tatsumi grinned eagerly. "Sounds cool. How many have you got so far?"

"I've put about six people on our invitation list so far. Boss says to only get one more for now."

Tatsumi took a minute to think about all that Bulat had just said. " _This guy's been through a lot of shit, and all because of that bastard Honest. Maybe, if I can't get a job, I can try to help him with his missions."_

Tatsumi asked Bulat, "Which criminals are you hunting right now?"

Bulat's expression grew serious again. "They're a group of terrorists called the Enthusiasts. They attack villages indiscriminately, torturing and killing anyone in their way while stealing all their valuables for themselves. Boss's managed to track them down to this city. Rumor has it they plan to strike soon, and our client wants us to disable them and leave them for the authorities with convicting evidence."

"How're you gonna get this 'convicting evidence'?" Tatsumi asked.

"I'll try to compile witness reports of the attacks, get stolen valuables back, and locate plans of their assaults." Bulat replied. "The main problem is knowing where and when they'll atta-"

Suddenly, a bone chilling scream rang out across the city. Tatsumi and Bulat shot up from their bench in alarm.

"Well, then. Question answered." Bulat said grimly.

Tatsumi gasped. "Shit, it came from where Sayo and Ieyasu live!"

Bulat's eyes widened. "Are those two your friends?"

Tatsumi nodded. "They live in a hut community, so no doubt those bastard Enthusiasts must be raiding the village. I'm gonna go stop 'em! You coming?"

Bulat shouted, "You had to ask?!" The two men raced towards the screams, hoping they got there in time before anything terrible happened.

* * *

"HAHAAAA! Look at you maggots squirm!"

"I'll rip you apart, worms!"

"Get all the money you can find!"

The hut village was in a state of complete panic as a small gang of men dashed through their homes, destroying anything next to them and hunting down the residents. The villagers screamed as the men assaulted them, yelling and whooping.

A member with hair shaped like horns jumped onto a young boy. The child struggled and squirmed, yelling for help, but the man's grasp was too strong. "I'm gonna enjoy cutting you up," the man said with an evil smile as he took a knife out of his kimono. He raised his weapon above the boy's stomach, ready to strike, when suddenly an arrow went right through his arm. The man yelled in pain, dropping his knife, and whirled around to see where the arrow came from. He saw Sayo, armed with her bow and already loading another arrow. "Get away from him, you sick bastard!" she shouted as she fired again. The man ducked to avoid the arrow and grabbed the knife from the ground, snarling, "You'll pay for that, you little bitch!" He ran at Sayo, only to be cut off by a teammate falling down in front of him, an axe sunk deep into his back and bleeding profusely. He saw Ieyasu running at the man, withdrawing his weapon with a resounding squelch while shouting, "You picked the wrong village to fuck with today!" The kimono-garbed man whistled for his teammates, and they came running, forming behind him.

"You kids need to be taught a lesson about minding your own business." The man went back into a malicious smile as he stalked towards the two teenagers. Ieyasu moved protectively in front of Sayo, baring his teeth. "Come at us, you motherfuckers," he growled, "and we'll fuck you all up!" Sayo quickly scanned the village. The residents had managed to take shelter in the nearby trees, leaving her and Ieyasu as the only defense. She exhaled sharply as she reloaded her bow.

The criminals charged forward with a yell. Sayo and Ieyasu braced themselves. The horned man grinned as he flipped his knife threateningly in the air-and was promptly hit square in the ribs by a brown combat boot, flying a few feet into a rock. The knife landed harmlessly on the ground.

The marauders gasped in astonishment at the young man who had suddenly appeared. They angrily ran at him, only to receive heavy punches from a much bigger man, knocking them all over the place.

"You guys all right?" Tatsumi asked his friends as Bulat grappled with a bat-wielding assailant.

"Yeah. Thanks for showing up when you did." Sayo replied with relief. Ieyasu gasped at the sight of Bulat. "WHO THE FUCK IS THAT?!"

"A friend." said Tatsumi with a smile.

The horned man collected himself as he limped towards the new people, cradling his side. "More meat to tenderize." he growled as he started to stalk them.

"We gotta go, Suka!"

The horned man turned in shock. The other man had recovered, but were now beginning to retreat.

"What the hell do you mean, go?! I don't run from anyone!" Suka shouted angrily.

A member wearing a fashionable suit stammered, "We don't have our full team, and these guys are too much for us! We already looked over this dump, and there's nothing good! We need to go back to the main man to start our plan!"

Suka stood still for a moment, worrying the rest of his team. After a bit, he replied, "Fine. Let's beat it."

The criminals rushed away from the village into the trees, vanishing quickly. Suka turned to join them, but he took one final look at the heroes and said, "We're not finished here, maggots. I'll see you another time." With that, the man ran into the thicket, disappearing in the shadows.

"Let's go after 'em!" Tatsumi proclaimed, ready to beat some more terrorists.

Bulat shook his head. "Not now. We don't know how many of them there are, or what weapons they have. We'll wait for their next move and work from there."

Tatsumi stared at the thicket for a while with his fists clenched. Finally, he sighed and turned to his friends. "How much stuff did those guys fuck up?"

Sayo exhaled with relief. "They were more concerned with trying to hurt people, so apart from minor collateral damage, nothing of value was lost."

"Good." Tatsumi said as he saw the villagers coming back into the village.

"Wow! Did you see that?"

"They drove out those hooligans!"

"Those guys are heroes!"

The community cheered and clapped for the four companions. Tatsumi blushed, saying, "Eh, I just wanted to protect you guys." Bulat and Sayo smiled and went to help the people clean up while Ieyasu proudly yelled, "ALL IN A DAY'S WORK FOR THE BEST BADASSES AROUND! NOTHING CAN CONQUER OUR AWESOMENESS!"

* * *

 _A few hours later-Evening Time_

"We're having dinner at your employer's house?" Tatsumi asked with surprise.

After the attack, the four friends had helped the small village to clean up the destruction left over. Tatsumi had introduced Sayo and Ieyasu to Bulat, talking about his failed recruitment attempt, Bulat's past, and the secret corruption of the Empire. Bulat stayed with them, having nowhere to go since there wasn't a nearby hotel for him to stay at. Sayo had received a message from her employers via magirod, the magic-powered communication system used to deliver quick messages without the use of letters. They had called Sayo and Ieyasu to dine at their mansion while having a friendly chat about their current events.

"Yeah. They're allowing guests to accompany us, as long as they're not total tramps." she said with an eye roll. "Seriously, those guys are probably the snootiest family in the whole Empire."

"Is that so?" asked Bulat as he got his things ready. "Why did you choose to work for someone you personally don't like?"

"Those guys aren't that bad once you get to know 'em," replied Ieyasu, "and they pay ok. We'd have already asked for a raise, if only they didn't look down their noses at people in a lower class than them."

"High maintenance, huh?" Tatsumi sighed as he grabbed his backpack. "Well, as long as the food's good, I don't mind."

"Now, be wise, gentlemen," Sayo warned as they all went to the cart outside, "these people don't find your profane vocabulary appealing, so I expect you all to be on your best behavior."

"No sweat! I can definitely pretend I'm cultured or whatever if it means free dinner." Tatsumi said with a smirk as they all got onto the cart. "Sides, me and Bulat are grown men. We know how to act in public domain."

"Kid, you're 20 years old and I'm 26. 'Grown men' is rather subjective here." Bulat said as he folded his arms and sat back in his seat. "Still, I get the message. Let's hope these people can help us find out more information about the Enthusiasts. The longer they stay in this area, the more danger Jovou is put in."

"Yeah, and no doubt they told their boss man what we look like." Ieyasu said bitterly. "We're all targets until we can those bastards."

Sayo nodded grimly and started the cart's motor. The group traveled in silence, thinking about the Enthusiasts and what their next move would be. About an hour passed until the forest path they were taking opened out to a clearing. In front of them was the largest mansion Tatsumi had seen so far, its white exterior beautifully illuminated by the setting sun. Some guards near the frontal gardens saw them and guided their cart to a designated parking space.

"The Legenfelts have been expecting you," said one of the guards as the team got off the cart, "and they're quite eager to learn about the incident that happened in your village a few hours ago."

"Wow, the news traveled that fast already?" Sayo mused as the group was lead inside. Tatsumi was impressed by the lavish furniture and paintings.

"It's a headline topic." replied another guard. "The local news telecast channel has been buzzing with the story."

"Hope they got footage of us. It might get me brownie points at my next job tryout." said Tatsumi as he continued looking at the expensive antiques and almost bumped into a girl coming out of an opposite hallway.

"Aaahh! Watch where you're going, peasant!" the girl cried, indignant.

"Wahh! My apologies!" Tatsumi stammered as he stumbled backwards, catching himself just in time from knocking over a nearby vase.

Sayo and Ieyasu sharply inhaled at the sight of the girl. They both rattled off at the same time, "Good evening, Lady Aria!"

The girl's disturbed expression brightened at the sight of the two teens. "Ah, Ferenta and Gorongi! I'm pleased to see you've arrived on time, as standard." She looked at Tatsumi and Bulat with a miffed expression. "I assume these two are the guests you warned us about?"

"Indeed, Lady Aria! These two are Tatsumi Vritra and Bulat Humaki." responded Sayo. "They have experience in military and bestial affairs."

"So they do!" Aria exclaimed in surprise. She walked up to Tatsumi and extended her hand. "I am Miss Aria Legenfelt, daughter of Warton and Celia Legenfelt and inheritor to the Legenfelt estate."

Tatsumi, still recovering from his near accident, gasped, "Oh, um, it's my great pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ari-I mean Lady Aria!" as he delicately shook her hand. He quickly analyzed her as they greeted each other. She was a bit shorter than him, and looked to be in her teens like Sayo and Ieyasu. She had short blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a blue dress. She had an aura of grace and primness, which prompted Tatsumi to check himself to see if his appearance was acceptable. He straightened his hair while Aria and Bulat greeted each other.

"I must say, Ferenta," she said while walking with the group to the dining room, "I personally had very low expectations for your guests. With you and Gorongi being commoners, I expected these two to be disgusting tramps from the city alleyways. I'm glad to see I was proven wrong."

"Lady Aria, I can assure you these two are favorable men." Ieyasu said. "They provided excellent assistance with exiling criminals out of our village." Tatsumi softly chuckled at Ieyasu's sudden language shift.

"Yes, I've been curious about the details since the news reported on the altercation." Aria replied. "We'll discuss it further after we eat." The group arrived at the dining room doors. The guards went without prompt and opened the doors. Tatsumi gasped in his mind, " _Good Yao._ "

The dining room was huge, with a beautifully decorated table in the center. Around the room were more antiques, each encased in a protective glass covering. Sitting at the table were six people. There were two adults, a middle aged man and woman, dressed in formal clothing. There was a younger looking man with a good looking suit. Finally, there were three girls, each one dressed in a pink, yellow, and blue outfit respectively, with matching hair to boot. The adults and the man were in the middle of a discussion while the girls stayed silent. The adults saw the party entering and smiled.

"Ah, everyone's here!" cried the middle aged man with joy. "We can finally begin!"

"Greetings, Ferenta and Gorongi." the middle aged woman said. "We've been eager to hear from you."

"Indeed, Mr. and Mrs. Legenfelt." responded Sayo. They all sat at the table, with Aria sitting with her parents, Sayo and Ieyasu sitting next to the three girls, and Tatsumi and Bulat sitting next to the young man.

"Now, then!" announced Warton. "Guards, tell our cooks that we are ready."

The guards nodded and left. About two minutes later, a group of people wearing cooking uniforms strolled into the room with covered dishes. They laid them out on the table.

"Dinner is served." said a cook as the others took off the covers. Tatsumi had to clench his teeth to prevent his drool from spilling onto the tablecloth. There was turkey, mashed potatoes, baked beans, fried rice, and more. He grinned as he tied a bib around his neck.

"Let's eat!" Warton cried, and the company commenced with their meal.

* * *

 _A bit later-Night Time_

Tatsumi lay back on the couch, feeling happy and stuffed. After dinner, the group had gone into the mansion living room, where they talked about what had recently happened in their lives. Tatsumi had forced himself to eat properly during dinner, as to not disgust the Legenfelts with his ravenous eating style. He'd learned that the Legenfelts were a noble family that lived independently off a fortune built up by entrepreneurs in the family tree over time. They'd hired Sayo and Ieyasu after the two had noticed a help wanted advertisement in Jovou for resource hunting. They had initially scoffed at the teenagers' plain appearances and language, but quickly saw that the two were excellent workers. This had caused them to slightly change their opinion on lower class citizens, and had treated Sayo and Ieyasu well after they were officially hired. Bulat was currently talking to the senior Legenfelts about the village attack.

"Are you sure you haven't seen anybody suspicious?" asked Bulat.

Celia shook her head. "Heavens, no. We would have immediately alerted the authorities if we saw any criminals lurking about."

Bulat stroked his chin, troubled that the Enthusiasts had managed to cover themselves so well. Warton interrupted, "Oh, I almost forgot! I haven't introduced our other guest," he said, motioning to the younger man. "This is Bach Howman. He's a young noble who has befriended us after he offered us shelter in a storm a few days ago."

The young man smiled. "Greetings. From what the Legenfelts have told me, you people are hard workers indeed. I'm almost tempted to make a trade!"

Sayo laughed. "Oh, goodness, Mr. Howman-"

Bach raised a stopping hand. "Oh, please, Ms. Ferenta, Mr. Howman is my father. Just call me Bach."

Ieyasu chuckled. "Alright then, Bach, who would we be traded with? I hope it's fair."

Bach also chuckled in response. "I've also been lax in introducing guests." He motioned to the three girls, who had been quiet the entire visit. "This is Air in the pink, Fal in the yellow, and Luna in the blue. They work for me in the same way you two work for the Legenfelts. Of course, I've grown too fond of them to actually part ways with them."

The girls nodded, still keeping quiet. Bach playfully rolled his eyes and whispered to the group, "They're rather shy, so don't be disturbed by their quietness."

Tatsumi scooched over to where the girls were sitting. "Nice to meet you lovely girls." he said with a friendly smile. "Seriously, you three are too pretty to have a job as plain as this."

The girls looked at Tatsumi with a surprised look, and he could see the blood rising in their cheeks. He flashed them a thumbs up and went back to his original spot.

"So, Ferenta," Aria mused, "what exactly happened in that attack?"

The group of four took turns relaying the attack, from the sudden ambush while Sayo and Ieyasu were out gathering water at the village well, to Tatsumi and Bulat's heroic rescue.

Warton gasped. "How savage! These hooligans need to be put to justice as soon as possible!"

Bach nodded grimly. "It's a shame that they have such good camouflage. The sooner they're found, the safer Jovou will be."

Aria smirked. "If those pestilent robbers tried to attack us here, our guardsmen would make short work of them. They'd have to go to prison knowing they were defeated by the most powerful family in Jovou! Ohhhh-hohohohohohoho!" she laughed. Tatsumi found her chortling extremely snooty and annoying.

Sayo looked at her watch. "Oh, goodness, it's nine o'clock! We'd better leave if we're going to have proper sleep tonight!"

The Legenfelts nodded. "Very well, Ms. Ferenta. It was a pleasure to have you over. I must say, those two gentlemen you brought have promising military futures ahead!" commented Celia. Tatsumi winced as he looked at Bulat, who's expression didn't change.

"Farewell, young ones. I wish you good tidings." Bach said with a friendly smile. The three girls waved once before going back to their emotionless state.

"I'm glad I came tonight. Good night, everyone!" Tatsumi said as the group was surrounded by guards who escorted them back outside to their cart. The group drove out, the crescent moon illuminating the forest road.

"UUGGGHH, I'm glad that crap's over!" Ieyasu groaned. "I can only be cultured for so long, dammit!"

Tatsumi laughed. "Only took you a few minutes to adjust back to your normal self, huh? I, for one, enjoyed being prim for a night."

Ieyasu scowled. "Everybody to their own, I guess."

Bulat frowned. "We haven't come any closer to discovering the Enthusiasts, and they know where we live. I suggest we all be very careful tonight."

The rest of the group gulped. Bulat was right. There was no knowing when the terrorists would attack again, and they would surely go after them specifically to eliminate fierce opposition. When they got back to the hut, they fortified the door locks with magic bonds. Each person kept their weapons right next to their respective bunk. After washing up and getting into pajamas, the four companions entered their bunks, Sayo and Tatsumi at the top, and Ieyasu and Bulat on the bottom.

"Good night, everyone. I hope you find a job soon, Tatsumi." Sayo said as she pulled the covers over herself.

"Yeah, what she said…" murmured Ieyasu, already falling asleep.

"G' night, guys." Tatsumi responded as Sayo and Ieyasu went into slumber. He sighed in the pitch black room, the covers already pulled over him. He could tell from the lack of deep breathing under him that Bulat was still awake.

"You OK, Bulat?" Tatsumi asked.

There were a few seconds of silence before Bulat answered. "Yeah. I'm still processing the events of today. I gotta say, kid, you were great in that fight this afternoon."

Tatsumi chuckled bashfully. "I've been around the block when it comes to combat, so I knew what I was doing."

Bulat scoffed. "Don't be so modest, man. I've been in the military for years, and I've never seen anyone with such a talent for fighting as you. You know, if you don't have anything else to do, I'd love to register you as our final companion for our little mercenary clan."

Tatsumi tried to sound surprised. "Damn, you really think I could measure up to the other people you've recruited?"

Bulat chuckled. "Yeah, kid. The only disadvantage you have is the lack of a Teigu, but we could find one later."

Tatsumi rolled over and looked at Bulat with a shocked expression. "D-Did you just say Teigu?! They're real?!"

Bulat looked up at Tatsumi with a grin. "Yup. All the people I've put on my list are equipped with Teigu. Me and the boss happen to have our own Teigu as well."

Tatsumi rubbed his eyes in shock. He'd heard rumors in academy of magical superweapons held by promising warriors, but he'd never seen one for himself. "C-Can you show me yours?!"

"Tomorrow, kid. You won't be able to see anything in this dark, and we need sleep for tomorrow." Bulat said as he sunk into his cot. "See you in the morning, Tatsumi."

"K. G'night, Bulat." Tatsumi said as he rolled back into his original spot. As he sunk into his bed, he thought about the twists the day had brought for him and what he would do tomorrow. Should he continue looking for a job? Should he join Bulat? What were these Teigu weapons? Would they ever catch the Enthusiasts? These questions rattled in the young man's mind as he slowly drifted off into a peaceful sleep…

…and was rudely awoken by a loud banging on the door. Everybody shot up in their beds, wide awake. The four people looked at the door wildly as the banging got more repetitive and increased in volume. Without saying a word, the group got out of their beds, grabbed their respective weapons, and took positions around the door. Tatsumi quietly walked straight up to the door, sword in his right hand. He glanced back and saw his friends a few feet behind him, ready to charge forward. Tatsumi exhaled sharply as he slowly put his hand on the doorknob. The banging continued, making the whole hut squeak under the pounding. Tatsumi counted to five in his head and threw open the door with his sword in front of him, his friends darting next to him. What he saw left him astonished. The unwanted knockers at the door were not members of the Enthusiasts, as expected. Instead, Tatsumi stood dumbfounded at the exasperated and frightened forms of Air, Fal and Luna. They jumped back with a squeal, staring with a scared expression at the hut's residents.

Tatsumi found his voice first. "W-What are you guys doing here? How'd you find us?"

The girls looked at him before Air finally whispered in sheer fright,

"Please help us."


	5. Chapter 3: Thickening Situation

DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING IS A NON-PROFIT, FAN-BASED STORY. AKAME GA KILL & AKAME GA KILL ZERO ARE OWNED BY TAKAHIRO. PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE.

* * *

 **Bestial Conflict**

 **Chapter 3**

Thickening Situation

* * *

 _One day ago, Tatsumi Vritra attempted to apply for a beast hunter position for the Aelehican army, only to be denied for his skills. Rejected, he happened to meet a new friend named Bulat Humaki. Bulat told Tatsumi of the secret corruption in Aumilia and the crime sprouting because of it. Together they confronted a band of villains known as the Enthusiasts. After driving them away, the two companions, along with Tatsumi's other friends Sayo and Ieyasu, had met with the Legenfelt noble family, discussing the attacks. Now, in the middle of the night, Tatsumi's been rudely awakened by three guests of the Legenfelts, and they are frightened beyond belief. The conspiracy in Jovou is about to be unraveled…_

* * *

 _Gaea/Year 1024/Jovou, Aelehica_

The hut's light fixtures had been turned on to a low setting, so the neighbors wouldn't be awakened. Tatsumi and his friends were sitting in the living room, watching Air, Fal, and Luna as they ate leftover fish from Sayo and Ieyasu's recent fishing trip. The girls had begged the group for shelter, claiming they had terrible news that they had to divulge. They hadn't had a proper meal for a while, and thanked the group for their generosity. As the girls finished eating, their fear had dissipated, and they now seemed a lot more emotive and sociable than they had been at the Legenfelt mansion. Tatsumi, curious about the girls, spoke up first.

"So, where do you all come from?"

Air replied, "Oh, I'm from Ioshuin. Fal's from Meyen and Luna's from Epexone. We met each other while traveling through Aelehica."

Fal interrupted, "Met each other? Way I remember, you were zipping from person to person in that city babbling for directions, saying "Where am I? How do I get here?" and other crap. When you bumped into me, I decided to join you only because I liked company."

Air sniffed in contempt. "Well, I apologize for bothering you in your vitally important task of grabbing people by the collar and demanding at the top of your lungs, "WHERE DO I GET A JOB IN THIS DAMN TOWN? HURRY UP AND ANSWER ME, BOBBLEHEAD!"

Fal growled angrily. "You would still be marooned in that town if it weren't for me! In fact, now that I remember, you still haven't thanked me for beating the shit out of that punk who tried to mug Luna!"

Air spluttered, "W-Yo-I-I THANKED YOU SEVERAL TIMES! YOU WERE TOO BUSY BEING MACHO-ASS TO NOTICE!"

Luna finally spoke up. "Girls, please calm yourselves. We'll wake up the whole village with your yelling."

Air and Fal looked at Luna in surprise before they both took a deep breath and calmed down. "Sorry. Point is, me and Air joined up at the town, saved Luna from a robbery, and we all traveled through Aelehica together," said Fal.

"We were attempting to find a good paying job and make a living in Aumilia." Luna stated. "It's said that you can become anything you want here, and the others truly believed this rumor. I had my doubts, but I still held hope."

The four hut dwellers were amazed at the girls' true personalities. Some form of pressure had to have been put on them since they had been completely quiet at the meeting. Bulat asked, "How did you get employed under Howman?"

The girls' face grew pale. They looked at each other uncertainly before Air cleared her throat. "We have a terrible truth to divulge to you. You told us at the meeting that you have been currently pursuing the Enthusiasts."

Bulat nodded. Tatsumi didn't like where this conversation was going.

"Well, we've personally found out who the leader of the Enthusiasts is, and he's someone you've all met before."

The others gasped in shock. Ieyasu spluttered, "Bach Howman?! B-But he seemed to be a great guy!"

Luna was solemn as she responded. "From outward appearances, Bach Howman is an exemplary man who deludes others with his charisma into trusting him. In reality, he is the creator and leader of the Enthusiasts, with a black heart and zero remorse."

Sayo's brain was still processing this new fact. She stuttered, "I-If that's true, how did you escape from him?! It's obvious that you didn't join him out of choice."

Fal bristled with anger. "That bastard came over to us while we were in the town square. He promised us all kinds of bullshit about good pay and a comfortable home. We didn't realize he was lying until we were brought to his hideout in the woods."

Air continued with a scared expression. "It happened so fast. We were ushered into a campground with weapons lying everywhere and tents set up. He showed us the entire group, about thirty people in all. His attitude changed from friendly to malicious. He smiled as he told us that we were now his slaves, and we were to stay quiet at all times and follow his every command."

Tatsumi gritted his teeth with anger. He'd always respected women, and injustice done to them pissed him off more than almost anything else. "Piece of-did you guys try to escape?"

"Fal has training in martial arts, and she was able to take down a few of the criminals." Luna said, her voice beginning to quiver. "Bach didn't like that. He took a whistle out of his suit and blew it. We heard some footsteps in the shadows, and when we turned, we could make out about six men holding spiked rope that was wrapped around something terrible. I couldn't get a good look, but it seemed to be twice as big as a gorilla. It had a red eye glow and terrible teeth. It didn't look like any beast I researched on Epexone."

Bulat stiffened. Tatsumi saw this and asked him, "You know this creature they're talking about, man?

Bulat grunted with uneasiness. "Mmm. I'm not familiar with the specific creature, but I have a bad feeling about what species it belongs to. I won't say anything until we can confirm."

Tatsumi uneasily asked, "How long were you guys slaves?"

Air replied, "About two weeks. Bach made us do all the chores for the Enthusiasts, such as doing laundry, fetching food and supplies, and other mundane tasks."

Fal added, "While we were there, we overheard the Enthusiasts' entire plan. Bach had heard about the Legenfelt family through connections, and he was drooling over the thought of nabbing their fortune. He was gonna go pretend to be a noble, put the family's guard down with his bullshit, and then come back one night with all those bastards and kill everyone while taking their house and money for themselves!"

Tatsumi balled up his fists. He growled, "Opportunistic jackass. Can you guys pinpoint where their hideout is?"

Luna frowned. "They lead us blindfolded out of and into the woods, so we aren't sure. What we _are_ sure of is that they plan to attack tomorrow night, which in this case would be _tonight._ "

Sayo sat up with vigor. "We've got to tell the police about this!"

Tatsumi shook his head. "No dice, Sayo. Cops can't just barge onto personal property waiting for criminals to show up without any evidence of their crimes. We're just gonna have to prepare for tonight, get our weapons ready, and try our best. We're on our own."

Bulat nodded. "Tatsumi's right. I'll contact Boss with my magirod and tell her about the Enthusiasts' plans. Girls, do you want to stay here for protection?"

All three of them nodded like crazy. Sayo mused, "We have spare blankets for you to sleep on."

Ieyasu stared at the girls, confused. "Hold up, if you said that you didn't know your way through the woods 'cuz you were blinded, how'd you manage to get out?"

Air answered, "After the meeting, Bach stopped at the town square and gave us money to buy more weapons for them, saying to be back by tomorrow. While we were shopping, we heard some night hunters talk about the earlier attack in your village, mentioning your appearances. We demanded to know where you guys were, and they pointed us to your village, which is how we got here."

Tatsumi, impressed, said, "You girls are a lot braver than you look. We'll make sure to give those punks one for each of you, all right?"

The girls nodded. Fal balled up her fists and proclaimed, "We'll try to fight with you if we can!"

Bulat smiled. "We should all go back to sleep. I'll alert Boss as soon as dawn breaks, and we can plan out our defense during the day."

Everybody agreed. Sayo set up the other girls' blanket beds, turned off the lights, and within minutes the entire party was sound asleep, prepared for confrontation.

* * *

 _Dawn_

"EVERYBODY UP! WE'VE GOT TO PREPARE! OUT OF THE BEDS!"

Everyone groaned as Bulat, already wide awake, opened the curtains, shining light directly into their eyes. "WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME! LET'S GO!"

Extremely annoyed, Tatsumi climbed off his bunk while grumbling, "Look, man, I dunno what alarm time crap you were trained in back in the military, but we're damn civilians. Take a chill pill."

Bulat rolled his eyes. "You kids have it too easy, I tell you. I had to get up exactly at dawn and be in my quarters at dusk lest I be made an example of."

Ieyasu grunted, "Oh, we're already being made examples of, I can promise ya."

The group ate breakfast in silence, thinking about how they would protect the Legenfelts from the Enthusiasts. Bulat had sent a report of his findings to his boss from his magirod, and was still waiting for a response. After breakfast, they went back to the living room to discuss their plans.

"I've come up with a plan that would work well, unless anybody has any changes they'd like to make," announced Bulat.

"Shoot," replied Tatsumi.

Bulat folded his arms. "Since Sayo and Ieyasu work daily for the Legenfelts, they can go alert them of the assault when they go off to work. In the meantime, me and Tatsumi will take the girls to the local police station to give eyewitness reports of the Enthusiasts' kidnapping and assault on this village. Tonight, we gather at their mansion to take down the Enthusiasts once and for all."

The others sprouted determined grins. "Let's do it!" the entire group said at once.

Sayo and Ieyasu jumped on their cart and went off to the mansion. The leftover members watched them go before heading into town, looking for the police station.

As they walked, Tatsumi was deep in thought about the Teigu Bulat had mentioned yesterday. Before he could ask him for more information, Air shouted, "I see it!"

The police station was a large building near the corner of the city. It had several officers dressed in Imperial armor surrounding the building. The group strolled in quickly.

Inside the station, there was a large desk manned by one officer. There was a door on the side that led to the inner part of the station. Air, Fal, and Luna went up to the desk while Tatsumi and Bulat sat at a waiting bench nearby.

"Um, excuse us, officer," Air said, "we have a crime to report."

The officer looked up from what he was doing. "Does it have anything to do with that assault on a local village reported yesterday?"

All three of them nodded. Luna responded, "Indeed. We have many things to tell you."

The officer walked over to the end of the desk and flipped a switch. The door near the desk opened. "Come with me." The officer said seriously.

The girls went through the door, and it closed with a soft sound. Tatsumi and Bulat lay back in the bench, waiting. Tatsumi decided now was a good time to ask about the Teigu.

"So, Bulat, what exactly are these Teigu things? What does yours look like?"

Bulat turned to him with a smirk. "Pay attention, kid. Not many people know the full background behind a Teigu."

Tatsumi returned his smile. "Bulat, I've studied military tactics and warfare my whole teenage life. Listening to one more lecture won't kill me."

Bulat folded his arms again as he began. "First off, what do you know about magic?"

Tatsumi rested his head on his fist as he recalled his lessons at the academy. "Magic is the power from which every organism of Gaea gets supernatural abilities." he said. "It's naturally produced by the planet, with specific elements attributed to different continents. Aelehica produces the most magic on Gaea, and it has several other elements attributed to it."

"Good." responded Bulat. "And what about magic forces?"

"Every living being on Gaea is born with a magic force. This force gives organisms various abilities, such as elemental control, increased strength, speed, and stamina, and other stuff I don't know about. I do know that if somebody uses too much of their magic, they'll be severely weakened and vulnerable. I've heard that magic forces can increase with training, and some people and other organisms have greater magic forces than others naturally."

"Correct. As you know, people born in certain continents are naturally skilled at manipulating the element natural to their home. People from Epexone are skilled with water magic, while Uaroxos residents manipulate fire easily. Using magic, humanity has made major advances in various fields that wouldn't have been possible without it." Bulat said as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a piece of jerky to chew.

"While this is all well and good, what does it have to do with Teigu?" Tatsumi asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Well, even though magic has been used for almost everything on Gaea, it doesn't really work out for physical combat. Tell me, kid, have you seen anybody in Kreicrai use something other than gusts or small cyclones in your street fights?'

Tatsumi remembered the wild whoops of his neighbors as they swung around each other, delivering punches and kicks accelerated with the power of wind. As cool as they looked, Tatsumi realized to his disappointment that those moves were pretty much all anybody did. Even he only used natural wind conditions in combat, with nothing else to add.

"Nope. You saying there's a better way to use magic for fighting?" Tatsumi asked.

Bulat smirked. "About a millennium ago, Gaea was still a rather primitive world, with the population keeping quiet in the six surrounding continents. Aelehica was an empty land, with nothing except plants and animals living on it. One day, a young man born on an independent island decided to visit the land, curious about its resources. He was awed by Aelehica's climate, magic utilities, and wildlife. After his visit, he traveled through the six other continents and saw that they were struggling with frequent barbarian attacks, poverty due to not being able to trade materials, and other problems. With this in mind, the young man decided to turn Aelehica into a paradise where anybody could go to for a happy life. He also wanted his new land to help the other continents with their problems, at least until they could get back on their feet. The better all the continents were, the healthier Gaea would be."

Tatsumi was impressed by the man's ambition. "How'd he make his new haven?"

Bulat chuckled. "The man's name was Eloro Thefaren. He made a great amount of wealth selling unique artifacts he found on his travels. With money in hand, he used his influence to gather a large following of people from the other continents. The people went to Aelehica and created a great city in the center of the land. Eloro decided to call the city Vreathia."

"That's how the capital was created, huh." Tatsumi noted as he took a swig of water from the water fountain nearby. He sat down again as he asked, "What next?"

"It was decided that Vreathia needed a government. The people created the Aumilia Commonwealth, a regal government that would oversee Vreathia and any other territory the small country would claim. Eloro was unanimously chosen by the people to be the first Emperor of Aumilia."

"Who would've guessed?" Tatsumi quipped.

Bulat rolled his eyes. "As cliché as it was, Eloro quickly set up a system of trade with the other continents. With resources passed through Gaea, the other continents vastly improved, going out of poverty and able to use their magic to make new things out of foreign sources. Eloro was pleased that his plan of paradise was working out, but as the other continents continued to develop and the Aumilia Commonwealth expanded its borders, he foresaw trouble in the future. Barbarian tribes had taken notice of Aumilia and had more than once sent threats directly to the Emperor, warning that they would take the land and enslave the citizens living there. Eloro was greatly concerned, not just about Aumilia, but also about the safety of the other continents, who didn't have any advanced weapons to protect themselves. So, he decided to take a bold step that many at the time considered an insane endeavor. He ordered the creation of the Teigu."

Bulat paused and glanced at the police desk. He saw the girls being led to another room. "Hopefully they don't take too long."

"Yeah. Sayo and Ieyasu should've talked to the Legenfelts by now." Tatsumi said as he peeked at the sundial over the door. It was near noon.

"As I was saying," Bulat continued, "the Teigu were created to protect not just Aumilia, but the whole entire planet from threats. The best magicians and forgers from across Gaea were enlisted to create these weapons. Forgers would create the shape, size, and look of the Teigu out of a rare metal called orichalcum while magicians would infuse the Teigu with natural magic from the planet to construct devices that utilized magic for combat. Many Teigu were created over Eloro's reign, and several more were produced over the centuries afterward. They're currently spread all over the planet, and no one knows for sure just how many of them there are."

"Sounds sweet. How do Teigu function?" Tatsumi asked.

"Glad you asked. As you said earlier, every living thing on Gaea possesses their own magic force, which they use for many feats. Since magic inside the body has limited ability for combat, Eloro's magicians had to create independent magic forces for the Teigu. To do this, they used the natural magic that emits from the planet, giving the Teigu its own magic force that, unlike living organisms, cannot run out of magic to use since it naturally recharges."

Tatsumi blinked. These Teigu seemed ridiculously overpowered if they could recharge their own magic. "If Teigu can recharge, then they've gotta be unstoppable! I mean, no one could stand a chance against a guy with infinite-"

Bulat interrupted Tatsumi with a smirk. "Hold up. It's not that simple. Teigu and humans each have their own individual magic force, but only us humans can utilize magic on our own. The Teigu is just a tool that changes our magic into a weapon. Whenever someone uses a Teigu, they use their own magic force to stimulate the magic in the Teigu, so while the Teigu itself won't run out of magic, the human can still run out due to overexertion and fatigue."

"Ah." Tatsumi chirped. "That seems more balanced."

"Indeed. You see this belt I have on?" Bulat pointed out the belt he was wearing. It was gray in color and had a red jewel in the center. "This is my Teigu, Demon Armor: Incursio. It's an armor-type Teigu that vastly upgrades my speed, strength and agility, as well as giving me various powers and abilities over earth-based magic. This magic gives Incursio an almost impenetrable defense that can only be pierced by Teigu as strong as the armor."

All Tatsumi could say in his awe was "Damn."

"I might be able to put on a show with this later, depending on how tough the Enthusiasts are." Bulat stated as he looked back at the police desk. The girls were coming to the door by themselves, signifying that they were finished giving their report. "Looks like the girls are finished. Let's get going. I'll tell you about Shingu another time."

Tatsumi looked flustered. "There's Shingu now? Yao, I just finished processing the whole Teigu concept and there's still more crap to learn." he groaned as he stood up and went to the door with Bulat. The girls came out, looking pleased.

"So how'd it go?" Bulat asked.

"It went well." Air responded. "Of course, they're not going to wait at the mansion with no concrete evidence, but they said they'll start an investigation."

"Then that's going to have to suffice." remarked Bulat. "Let's go back to the village and wait for the others."

The group went through the exit only to see a commotion right outside the building. There was a police cart waiting outside the building, with other guards surrounding it. To the group's left, a unit of cops was coming out of a different door, escorting a handcuffed man to the cart. The man was dark-skinned and quite obese. He was completely decked out in clown clothing, with makeup covering his chubby face. There were people lined down the side of the street, shouting profanities and hurling garbage at the man.

"DIRTY CHILD KILLER!"

"HOPE YOU HAVE FUN ENTERTAINING THE SHOWER INMATES, YA BASTARD!"

"NEVER SHOW YOUR ASS IN THIS TOWN AGAIN!"

Fal tugged the shirt of a nearby cop. "Officer, what the hell is happening here? Who is this guy?"

The officer turned to the group grimly. "This man is Champ Ponto, who also goes by the alias of 'The Ringmaster'. He's recently been arrested for kidnapping several children in a nearby town and forcing them to work in his 'Carnival of Carnage', which is a depraved child arena where children fight to the death while the audience places bets on the winners."

The girls' eyes were the size of dinner plates. Bulat growled while Tatsumi trembled with shock and anger. He stuttered, "Holy-how'd you guys arrest him?"

"Apparently, Champ had kidnapped children that were pupils of a school teacher that worked in the town. The teacher investigated the disappearances and found evidence of Champ's crimes. After he gave us evidence, he personally immobilized Champ and shut down the carnival. We came to the crime scene with everything neatly laid out for us. Rumor is the teacher was a Teigu user, but he left the area before we arrived, so we couldn't confirm. We _do_ know that Champ was in possession of a Teigu, which we're returning to Vreathia's weapons storage."

"What was the Teigu, officer?" Bulat asked with concern in his voice.

"Goes by the name 'Ace Solution: Dieleaguer'. It's a multi-elemental weapon that uses orbs controlled by the user for battle. According to evidence, any kid or kids that made it through the blood fights had to face Champ armed with the Teigu. Poor saps didn't stand a chance."

Tatsumi felt sick. How could an Empire advertised to be a paradise have psychopaths like Champ roaming around? How could it have robbers like the Enthusiasts? And how the hell could it have a pathetic excuse of a prime minister like Honest? As the police cart carrying Champ rolled away, the young man resolved to himself, " _Forget looking for a job. As soon as we're finished dealing with the Enthusiasts, I'm joining Bulat and his boss on their 'crusade' or whatever they're doing. There's no way I can live in a kingdom this corrupt and have a clean conscience._ "

Bulat said to the rest of the group, "Let's not waste any more time. Sayo and Ieyasu are probably already waiting for us."

"Uh, yeah, ok." Tatsumi stuttered, still caught up in his thoughts. He turned to the girls, who were visibly shaken by the officer's report. "Come on, guys."

Luna whispered in terror, "W-What do we do? Even if we apprehend the Enthusiasts, evil greater than them will arise. Is there any concrete method to restoring peace to Aumilia?"

Tatsumi hesitated. He remembered the solemn look on Bulat's face as he discussed the crimes in Aumilia. Could there be any way to permanently make Aumilia the haven it was made out to be? As the youth contemplated his experiences, all he could answer for the moment was, "Well, we won't know if we don't try."

Fal puffed up at Tatsumi's words and loudly proclaimed to Luna, "Yeah, get a grip! There's crap way worse than this in the world, and if we can't conquer this, we might as well go back to our homes, and I sure as hell don't want to be sculpting rocks for the rest of my life! I want a life that _I_ made for myself, and I want it to be awesome!"

Luna stared at Fal in awe before quietly saying, "You're right. Thank you for your words, Fal."

Air smiled at her friends comforting each other and said to them, "Seems we're all okay then. Let's get going."

"Right!" said Fal and Luna simultaneously, and together the three girls ran to catch up with Bulat, who was already almost a block away. Tatsumi walked quickly behind them, still troubled about the situation.

" _Is there any real way to achieve peace in this kingdom?_ "

* * *

 _A few hours earlier_

The Legenfelt's mansion came within view of the cart as Sayo and Ieyasu flagged down one of the guards stationed outside the gardens. Within minutes, the two villagers were seated in the living room with the family.

"You peasants seem troubled. Whatever could be the matter?" Aria asked curiously.

"Lady Aria, we have terrible news. Ieyasu and I have recently discovered who the leader of the Enthusiasts is, and it's turned out to be none other than Bach Howman." Sayo said grimly.

The Legenfelts gasped. Celia spluttered, "That nice young man-a criminal?! D-Do you have any proof?"

Ieyasu replied, "Do you remember the three girls that accompanied Bach last night?"

"Yes, but weren't they loyal servants of Bach? What proof do they represent?" asked a very troubled Celia.

"Well, Mrs. Legenfelt, those girls weren't actually employees. In truth, the girls were kidnapped slaves, forced to keep quiet lest they receive terrible punishment." Ieyasu said.

The family moaned in horror. "Yao help us!" cried Warton. "What does that ruffian plan to do?!"

"His plan is to attack the mansion tonight with the full might of the Enthusiasts. Our commoner friends from yesterday are planning a counterattack." Sayo said. "However, we require your services to stage a better defense from the Enthusiasts."

"You can have anything required to apprehend those fiends!" Warton proclaimed. "We'll be more than willing to pay for property damage, Yao forbid that anything happens to our mansion."

"We are grateful for your cooperation, Mr. Legenfelt." Ieyasu replied with a warm smile. "Let's discuss our strategy."

The two villagers took some time creating a plan with the Legenfelts to defend the mansion. It was decided that all the family's guards would be on watch outside to attack the Enthusiasts when they appeared. Sayo and Ieyasu would bring their bow and axe to fight them alongside Tatsumi and Bulat.

"It appears that the proper preparations are set in stone." Aria commented. "You two should head back to your village and rest for tonight. We must all pray to Yao for his protection against those rapscallions."

"Agreed, Lady Aria. Thank you for your time." Ieyasu said with a grim face as he and Sayo turned to leave. Within minutes, they were on the road back home.

"Good thing we have bosses with so much wealth and authority." Ieyasu commented as the cart creaked along the roadway. "It'd be a hell of a hassle to figure out a plan with middle-class people. We'd be just as ill-prepared as our community was when the Enthusiasts first attacked."

"That would be a complete disaster." Sayo said as they rode. She glanced from the steering wheel and noticed Ieyasu with his head down. "What's up, Ieyasu?"

"I was just thinking about all the things that have happened in our lives recently. Meeting each other, working with the Legenfelts, meeting Tatsumi and his army friend, fighting the Enthusiasts…I'm just pondering how all those events could be changed."

"Yeah. Sometimes I wonder what our lives would be like if things went differently." Sayo pondered as she listened to the songs of the wild birds flying through the trees next to the roadway. "We could have been childhood friends with Tatsumi if he was born here in Aelehica, or if we were born in Kreicrai. We might have different jobs, different lifestyles…so many possibilities."

"I get what you're saying. To be honest, I've once or twice thought about the Legenfelts being crazy sadists who'd torture us to death in a shed," commented Ieyasu offhandedly, much to Sayo's unnerving.

"W-What the hell, Ieyasu?! That's terrible! How'd you even manage to think of that?"

The boy shrugged with an amused smile. "Dunno. I tend to think about a lot of insane shit when I'm bored. Guess I've got a pretty sick mind."

Sayo shook her head in exasperation. "Seriously, how do I manage to put up with your obnoxious antics all the time?" She sighed before continuing in a gentler tone. "I guess that's what makes you unique, whatever possibilities our lives could take…." Sayo was quiet for a few minutes, glancing at Ieyasu with an odd expression, almost as if she was nervous of him. After a bit, she spoke up again, her face beginning to flush. "Um, to be honest, Ieyasu, I was thinking…the next time we have nothing to do…d-do you want to…well…"

Ieyasu turned to face her, his eyebrows raised. "What, Sayo?"

"W-Well…after getting to know you and, uh, seeing how hard you work, I was hoping that we could, uhhh…"

"We could what?"

"Ummm…I…"

"SPIT IT OUT, DAMMIT! I'M GONNA GO BATSHIT FROM SUSPENSE IF YOU KEEP STUTTERING!" screamed an indignant Ieyasu.

"…g-go eat dinner at that fancy restaurant in the town square?" Sayo wheezed.

Ieyasu, unsure why Sayo was acting so weird, said, "What, you mean Rabuhouse? Sure, we can go, but, uh, is there any real reason why?"

Sayo blushed even more. "Uh, I've just, um, really wanted to try the food there."

Ieyasu snickered. "And here I thought you didn't have a care for the life of the fancy. Whenever you're game, we can go. I'm personally watering at the mouth to stuff myself there too!"

"Oh, thanks, Ieyasu, I appreciate it," Sayo said quietly as she focused back on the road. Mentally, she was screaming, " _Dammit, Sayo, stop being such a wimp and tell Ieyasu how you feel about him already! He's never going to notice you if you keep shrinking up!_ " Sayo wrestled with her thoughts all the way back home.

* * *

 _Present time_

"They're here!" Air called inside the hut. The entire group went out to meet Sayo and Ieyasu.

"So, are the Legenfelts prepared?" Bulat sternly asked.

"Yeah. Guards are at the ready. They're waiting for us to come back later," Ieyasu responded.

"Good. Let's get some rest and prepare. I'll need to check my magirod for a reply from Boss." said Bulat.

The group went back into the hut and relaxed. Air, Fal and Luna chatted with Sayo about local village gossip while Tatsumi and Ieyasu read the local newspaper that discussed the earlier attack on their village, chuckling at the eyewitness accounts of the four people 'leaping out of thin air and knocking the criminals out of the city'. After browsing through stories, Tatsumi picked up his book while Bulat checked his magirod. Ieyasu, still reading the newspaper, glanced at Tatsumi's book and saw that it was rather old, piquing Ieyasu's curiosity.

"Hey, Tatsumi, where'd you get that book, anyway? I haven't seen books like that in any library I've been to."

Tatsumi looked up from the book and beamed. "It's my personal antique. I was given this book by my dad when he found out I wanted to become a beast hunter. He said this book was preserved using magic and passed down through our family for generations. It's all about the Wrath Beasts and their influence over Gaea."

Sayo, overhearing the conversation, also got curious. "Wrath Beasts? Weren't they wiped out centuries ago?"

Air jumped in. "My parents told me the beasts were harvested of their magic to power the factories on Uaroxos!"

Fal came in. "Really? My parents said the beasts killed each other off fighting for supremacy!"

Luna added her opinion. "According to rumors I've listened to, the Wrath Beasts were exiled onto a secret continent. That's simply a theory, though."

Ieyasu bristled with slight annoyance at the wild speculation. "Okay, girls, let's not lose our heads over this. Tatsumi, what do you think happened to 'em?"

Tatsumi lay back on the couch and crossed his legs, pondering. "Well, I've never really thought about it. My dad said the book was written around the time all the beasts were still up and kicking, so there's no answers in this thing. My personal bet is the beasts probably went into some long hibernation cycle or something."

Bulat strode into the living room. "Just got word back from Boss. We're to turn in the Enthusiasts to the police and send her the imprisonment information so she can give it to our client for our payment." He stopped as he noticed what the others were doing. "Uh, am I interrupting something?"

"Nothing, Bulat. We were just talking about what happened to the Wrath Beasts." replied Tatsumi as he sat up.

"The Wrath Beasts, huh? Could've sworn those animals went extinct years ago."

"That's what everyone says. Doesn't mean they're right," replied Tatsumi. "I've always wanted to do more research on 'em as a beast hunter. If they're really all gone, they can't have just gone extinct, considering how tough they're made out to be in my book. Hell, maybe I'll write my own book on the Wrath Beasts if I ever get the chance to do some exploring."

"Well, isn't someone ambitious?" chuckled Bulat. "If you ever do write a book on the beasts, I'll make it a priority to add it to my field guides."

"Seconded!" chimed in Sayo.

"Heh. Thanks for the support, guys. Thing is, I suck at writing. And drawing. I'll probably have to get some sorry chumps to write the whole thing for me."

"Look no further than THIS sorry chump, my friend!" proclaimed Ieyasu with an arrogant grin. "I happen to be an exceptional artist versed in the ways of the canvas."

"You serious?" exclaimed Tatsumi in surprise.

"He is," answered Sayo with a smile. "When we go on our work trips, Ieyasu sometimes does pencil drawings of the forest. They're shockingly impressive. I can help you with writing as well, if you want."

Tatsumi grinned widely. "All right, then! I might as well show you my book now so you guys can get a grip on what you're doing."

"Sounds good!" answered Ieyasu as he and Sayo sat down next to Tatsumi.

"Heyheyhey, I wanna hear about those beasts too!" shouted Fal in a huff as she zipped next to the couch. Air and Luna followed suit, equally excited to learn about the mysterious creatues of Gaea.

Bulat smiled and went outside for some fresh air. As he silently observed the villagers moving about their day, he thought to himself, " _The Enthusiasts might have some sort of pattern. They attack villages and steal valuable belongings, and their leader pretends to be a noble to kill real nobles for their money. He also seems to know how to keep people and animals in captivity. There's got to be some sort of ulterior motive he has._ " Bulat looked at the sun, which was beginning to set. He knew that tonight, his questions would be either answered or silenced. He only hoped that no one would have to become a sacrifice for insight.

* * *

 _Unknown Hideout, Jovou, Aelehica_

Suka grumbled as he unwrapped a layer of bandages from his arm. He was still aching from the wounds he received during the raid. As he walked through the camp, he angrily thought, " _Can't believe I got jumped by some bitch with a bow. I'll show her and that other boy why you don't fuck with strangers._ _Heh, maybe I can warm up on that tomboy girl the main man collared._ " He was ripped from his thoughts by a thug shouting, "Suka, we still haven't seen the girls!"

" _What?_ " hissed Suka. Those girls hadn't been seen for more than 12 hours by now. No way in hell could they still be shopping.

"Seems those calves managed to give us the slip. I'll go tell the main man," said Suka as he went over to the big tent, keeping his distance from the snarling, chained animal some distance away. The main man was sitting at a makeshift desk, looking over a map of Jovou.

"Howman! Those little runts you bagged still haven't come back. Want me to send a squad after 'em?"

Bach looked up from the map with a flat expression. "No time. We must take the Legenfelt mansion tonight, and we need everyone present. If the girls have escaped, it'll only be a matter of time before the Jovou authorities accumulate enough evidence to convict us. We should be well beyond the city borders before that happens. Tell the men to pack up and prepare. Make sure the apeman is handled properly. Tonight, the nobility shall be purged and assimilated for our benefit."

"Yes, sir!" saluted Suka. He quickly went out of the tent, barking orders to the roaming criminals. Bach sighed and went back to examining his map. He felt a hot, itchy, unpleasant sensation on his chest. He scratched the spot yet again, silently contemplating, " _The Legenfelts will be the next stepping stone to our rise to power. In time, all nobles shall be reminded of how human they really are, how it feels to lose everything. They will scream under the brand on the Enthusiasts and know what it is to be a slave to destiny._ "

He smiled, anticipating the eventful night ahead.

* * *

Author's Note

You all thought I was dead, didn't you? :P

Sorry for the long hiatus. College is no pushover. Thankfully, I've had a great deal of time to properly plan out the story and characters. Expect new chapters more often, as I have lots of content prepared!

I fully intend to complete this fanfic, so don't freak out. Akame ga Kill & Akame ga Kill Zero have plot potential that I aim to utilize to the best of my ability. Keep your fingers crossed!

Cheers, Xakada


	6. Chapter 4: Under the Brand

DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING IS A NON-PROFIT, FAN-BASED STORY. AKAME GA KILL & AKAME GA KILL ZERO ARE OWNED BY TAKAHIRO. PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE.

* * *

 **Bestial Conflict**

 **Chapter 4**

Under The Brand

* * *

 _Gaea/Year 1024/Jovou, Aelehica/Dusk_

"It's time," grimaced Bulat as the sun sunk below the horizon, revealing the stars in the darkening sky. "Is everyone ready to go?"

"I'm set," said Tatsumi as he strapped his sword on his back. Sayo was loading arrows into her quiver while Ieyasu was sharpening his axe with a stone. The girls were putting on their boots and Bulat was straightening Incursio on his waist.

"We're ready as well!" piped Air.

"Good. Let's move out!"

The group loaded into Sayo and Ieyasu's cart, and within a few minutes they were cruising on Route 14 to the Legenfelt mansion.

"Now, be wary, everyone. The Enthusiasts are probably going to attack with their full force, so we need to have a plan," Bulat said as the cart chugged along. "Air, Fal and Luna will look after the Legenfelt family. Sayo and Ieyasu will help the guards defend the household. Tatsumi, you're with me. We'll take down the main forces ourselves and apprehend Bach."

"All right," Sayo and Ieyasu answered at the same time.

"Excuse me, but how can just Air, Fal and I protect the Legenfelts if push comes to shove?" Luna asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, what she said! I know how to fight, but I don't think I can beat the crap out of those Enthusiasts if more than five of 'em jump me all at once," Fal mused with a sour face.

Bulat grinned. "That's why Sayo and Ieyasu have house duty."

"Uh, sorry, what?" asked a confused Ieyasu.

"The Enthusiasts will have to break into the mansion in order to get to the Legenfelts, which is where I'll ask some of the guards to be posted. Sayo, Ieyasu, you'll be inside with them. In case the Enthusiasts get into the mansion, you'll meet up with the girls so you can help them protect the Legenfelts."

"Oh. That's better," responded Fal and Ieyasu in sync.

"Tatsumi, I'll need you to use your wind to keep the Enthusiasts at a consistent distance. I'll use earth to create a perimeter and beat down the heavy muscle. Sayo can pick off criminals Tatsumi blows away with her bow."

"Nice," Tatsumi responded with a grin. He'd been rather excited on the way to the mansion. Bulat had noticed this.

"Hey, kid, you feeling all right? You've been restless since we left," Bulat probed.

"Oh, I'm just fine. I haven't been in a good scrap in weeks. This fight with the Enthusiasts 'll get me back in the groove."

"Now wait, Tatsumi, don't think this is a game!" exclaimed Sayo indignantly. "These people are wanted terrorists! You're going to get yourself seriously hurt if you think about taking them on all at once!"

Tatsumi just chuckled. "There's still a lot you don't know about me, Sayo. I really haven't been good in anything in life beside being a beast encyclopedia and fighting. You already know how much I love beasts. So when it comes to fighting, well…"

"Oh, God, don't tell me you're like those hooligans I see in the news that get themselves thrown in jail just to pick fights with the inmates?" moaned Sayo.

"Nah, not that far. I do like to fight more than somebody would say is healthy, though. Guess it's kinda hereditary, me being from Kreicrai and all."

Ieyasu snorted. "Oh, don't pull out the Kreicrai card out now, jungle boy! Fal here seems to like fighting just as much as you."

"Hear, hear," Air and Luna said in unison beside an embarrassed Fal, whose face was getting redder by the second.

"Hey, what's the big idea, throwin' me in with the jungle man? Doesn't everyone like fights?" Fal stammered.

"Heavens, no," Sayo sniffed. Air and Luna nodded. Fal sunk deeper into her seat, grumbling to herself.

Bulat sighed. "Well, I'm just glad you're ready."

After another half hour, the mansion came within sight, and the group saw that the Legenfelts were waiting for them. A group of guards and servants were accompanying them.

"Oh, jolly good, you're all here!" Warton cried with delight as the cart was parked.

Celia rushed over to Air, Fal and Luna and scooped them up, wailing, "OH, my dears! Are you lot all right? Nothing injured? Oh, I'm so sorry we didn't notice!"

"It's fine, Mrs. Legenfelt. You couldn't have known in any way," reassured Air.

Aria strode up to Sayo with a sniff. "About time you peasants arrived. We were about to send the guards to find you. I'd thought that with criminals about to show themselves at our door, you'd all have been more punctual." She sounded contemptuous, but her twitching eyes revealed how nervous she'd been.

"We had to take care of some prior arrangements. I'm glad we weren't too late," Sayo said as she glanced over the mansion.

Aria sighed and huffed, "Daddy's been absolutely loony about these Enthusiasts coming to steal our treasures. He's had the guards stuff all our money into the basement safe, and almost tried to have me and mother sent away for protection."

Tatsumi overheard this and briskly walked up to the young lady, brashly asking, "Wait, you and you mom were going to leave? Why didn't you?"

"Because it's unseemly for a noble family to run like rats in the face of a cowardly attack such as this!" Aria stated with an air of defiance. "The Legenfelts will not be bullied by some vandals that crawled out of some miserable hole."

"That's our lady!" Ieyasu brightly proclaimed while internally grumbling, " _Oh goodie, a family that would rather die with 'dignity' than save their skins. Thanks for making my job harder, my lady._ "

Tatsumi wasn't very impressed by Aria's arrogance either, but he just rolled his eyes when Aria wasn't looking and went over to Bulat. "When do you think they'll be here?"

"Soon. Get the others to their positions."

Tatsumi went to Aria's parents and the girls. "Ok, everyone into the mansion and wherever your panic room is, right now!"

Warton took Celia's hand and bustled into the house, calling out, "Follow us, young ones!" Air, Fal and Luna were right behind them.

Aria, having heard Tatsumi's call, said to Sayo, "I'd better be going. Do try not to get yourselves killed, all right?"

"We don't plan on dying anytime soon, my lady," replied Sayo with a confident smile.

With a final look of concern, Aria dashed off into the mansion where her parents had just entered through a side door. Watching her go, Ieyasu muttered, "Would've been nice if she and her folks told us they were considering leaving."

"We're just their servants. They aren't obliged to tell us much, unfortunately," lamented Sayo. "Let's go join the guards."

"Right behind you."

The two companions went over to the group of guards. One of them was listening to Bulat finish giving him directions on where he wanted the guards. The guard turned to the others and motioned for them to follow him. Sayo and Ieyasu slipped in with the group as they went towards the mansion halls.

Bulat walked down the mansion yard, with Tatsumi beside him. "Now what do we do?" the younger man asked.

"We wait and listen."

Bulat stood in the grass with his arms crossed, patiently waiting. Tatsumi followed suit, observing the night sky to entertain himself. The stars shone brightly, illuminating the night. Tatsumi saw a pattern in the stars he recognized, but he couldn't remember what the pattern was called.

"Hey, Bulat, you know what that star pattern is?"

"What pattern?" Bulat asked, looking up where Tatsumi was staring.

"By the moon, a little to the left."

Bulat recognized the pattern and exclaimed, 'Ahh, that's the Big Lance! That constellation's only visible when the full moon's out."

'Oh, that's what it was," Tatsumi said as he continued gazing.

"You stargaze often, kid?" Bulat asked with a curious look.

"Yeah, sometimes. When I was little, my dad would take me above the treetops to go starwatching. He'd bring out his hand-made telescope and he would point out all the constellations he knew."

"Really? Could you name some of them now?"

"Hmm, let's see here…" Tatsumi examined the sky, looking for other patterns. "Oh, see that patch of stars?" he said as he pointed. "If you connect a line through those stars, they make up the Lone Eagle. Oh, and over there," he said as he marked another cluster of stars, "that's the Three-Legged Horse."

"Huh. I never knew that," Bulat exclaimed with wonder. "I've studied in military academy for years, and I couldn't name either of the constellations you told me. You know any others?"

Tatsumi stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Uhh…probably, but I can't remember right now. I wanna try to learn more about constellations so I can write about 'em in my book. I could tell you more about them then."

"Sounds good," Bulat said with a smile. "I could really go for-"

Suddenly, a loud rustling came from a patch of thicket to the northwest. Bulat spun around in alarm, staring intensely at the spot where the noise came from."

"Tatsumi, did you-"

"Yeah, I heard it too," Tatsumi said as he prepared himself. The two men anxiously stared at the thicket, prepared at any moment for someone to charge out with weapon in hand. The rustling picked up again, getting louder as the bushes began shaking. Tatsumi clasped his fists while Bulat tensed his body. The shaking and rustling kept getting bigger and louder, until with a jolt, something shot out of the thicket, revealing-

A small stray cat, meowing as it licked its leg.

Tatsumi and Bulat sighed in relief as they relaxed their bodies just a bit. The cat walked around aimlessly for a bit, undistracted by the scenery around it.

Then an object flew out of the forest directly at the two men.

"DODGE!" Bulat shouted. The men immediately dove to safety as the object hit the grass they were standing on and exploded. Dirt flew everywhere as the two tumbled. The cat jumped with a yowl and took off into the forest.

"Tatsumi! You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Tatsumi stammered as he got to his feet, only for a shout to ring his ears. He turned and saw a group of men in sharp suits race out of the forest and into the clearing, throwing more objects at them.

"Grenades! Take cover!" Bulat yelled.

Tatsumi ducked and dived as the grenades detonated around him, hurling soil into the air. Tatsumi quickly recovered and saw a group of men run towards him, weapons drawn.

" _Time to show these Enthusiasts a good time._ " Tatsumi thought with a grin as he stood against his attackers.

The first man swung at him with a club. Tatsumi easily dodged the swing and punched him clean in the face. The marauder went down like a sack of potatoes as the others rushed Tatsumi all at once. The men ferociously attacked him, swinging various bats and clubs. Tatsumi carefully avoided the blows, waiting for an opening. The men grew more and more frustrated as the young man kept on defense. Finally, they all raised their weapons to bring Tatsumi down in one conjoined strike.

Tatsumi smirked. These klutzes had given him the chance he needed. In an instant, Tatsumi went to the ground and spun around, sweeping his legs. A current of wind built up and hit the criminals, knocking them all off their feet. They landed hard back onto the ground, weapons blown out of reach. Tatsumi sprung back up. Seeing the criminals too stunned to continue attacking him, he ran over to Bulat.

Bulat was doing just fine on his own. Five Enthusiasts were already down on the ground, moaning with pain. The remainders were desperately trying to hit him, flailing their arms and legs. The older man methodically took them all down with carefully timed blows to vulnerable areas.

"You ok?" asked Tatsumi as he went up to Bulat.

"I'm fine. You might want to clean up you mess," Bulat said as he pointed to some Enthusiasts who were collecting themselves and rushing over to Tatsumi.

"On it," Tatsumi called as he ran over to the attackers.

He jumped and hit the first man with a flying kick to the midsection, laying him out on the dirt. Before the man could get back up, Tatsumi flipped in the air and brought his knee right onto the man's head. The criminal didn't move again.

Tatsumi got back up and caught the second man's attempt at a tackle. He threw him into the other criminals, toppling them over. Outmatched, the remaining Enthusiasts retreated back into the forest.

"Well, that was refreshing," exclaimed Tatsumi as Bulat walked over to him. "That couldn't have been all they had."

"Not a chance. Those guys were just scouts. The heavy guns still have to-"

The sound of a weapon cocking reached Bulat's ears. He whirled in the direction of the sound and shouted, "Get behind me, Tatsumi!" while punching the ground.

Something in the thicket fired right at the two companions. As Tatsumi moved behind Bulat, a plume of hard dirt suddenly shot out of the ground, creating a barrier of soil. The fired round hit the barrier dead center, blowing chunks of earth everywhere.

Tatsumi's eyes bulged out in surprise. Did Bulat just punch a wall out of the ground?

"W-What the—HOW THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?!"

Bulat turned with a wide grin. "You know how to use wind magic, right? Well, I can do the same, just with ground. My affinity is earth magic. I can create and manipulate any form of earth with magic. You can do the same, just with wind."

Tatsumi whistled in amazement. "D-Damn. Y-You saying I can do something amazing with my magic affinity, too?"

"Of course, kid! Magic is guided by the user's imagination. The only limits you have are your own magic reserves and your creativity."

"Wow."

"Watch this." Bulat stomped on the spot where he'd just punched. A block of earth shot out of the ground into the air. Bulat threw a palm strike at the block, rocketing it into the forest where the shot had come from. A loud crash and a yell of pain rang out.

"See that? There's infinite possibilities you can do with your affinity. You just need to know what you're doing."

Tatsumi was stunned. All his life, he'd only used magic for meager purposes such as helping to start a fire, or to blow leaves off his family's property. Right in front of him was a man who used magic like nobody else Tatsumi had seen before.

His awe was interrupted by more shots. Bulat kicked up the ground, shielding himself and Tatsumi with a spurt of dirt.

"Take cover here for now. I'll just be a minute," said Bulat to Tatsumi as he vaulted over the dirt wall, unsheathing a sword from underneath his leather jacket. Tatsumi peeked over the wall and saw Bulat moving rapidly towards the sources of the strafing, expertly deflecting shots with his sword. He vanished into the bushes and Tatsumi could hear loud shouting as the thicket lit up with flashes of gunfire. Yells and slashes could be heard among the rapid firing. Then, as quickly as it had started, the gunfire completely ceased. Tatsumi poked his head a little further over the wall to try and see what had happened. For a few moments, there was nothing but silence. Then several guns flew out of the bushes. Tatsumi saw that they'd been badly damaged. Some of them were bent completely out of shape while others had been bifurcated. Right after the guns came several men sliding through the grass. They were covered with deep cuts and wounds. Bulat came striding back into the clearing, his sword back in its sheath.

"Was that the rest?" Tatsumi asked.

"Yep. Didn't see or hear anyone else. Strange, I was expecting a full head-on assault. Seems the Enthusiasts are more discrete than I thought."

Troubled, Tatsumi thought about this. " _If these Enthusiasts want this house so bad, they sure aren't trying very hard. Wonder why these guys were so eas-"_

Suddenly, a horrible roar filled the air. Tatsumi froze. The sound had come from a good distance behind them.

"Uhh…Bulat? You don't think that noise was-"

"The mysterious creature Luna mentioned? Has to be," Bulat grimaced. "And that means the bulk of the Enthusiasts is right there with it."

And this was true, for as soon as Bulat had finished speaking, a conjoined shout sounded about the mansion, followed by the noise of several armed men charging.

"Dammit. Come on, Tatsumi!" Bulat shouted. The two immediately broke out running towards the other side of the mansion. As they rounded the side, the full force of the Enthusiasts came into view. At least one hundred armed men ran towards the mansion gardens. Tatsumi and Bulat skidded in front of the flowers.

"Take out as many of them as you can! Don't let all of them into the mansion!"

Tatsumi unsheathed his own sword, preparing his stance. The Enthusiasts were almost upon him and Bulat. Tatsumi concentrated and thrust his palm. "Celes Gust!"

The blast of air hit several of the Enthusiasts, knocking several of them to the ground. The others ran right past them towards the men. Tatsumi gripped his sword and blocked a swing from a man holding a two-by-four. As he engaged in combat against four men, he could hear gunshots as he dodged and countered the attacks of the Enthusiasts. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Bulat fighting bigger members of the Enthusiasts. Bulat clasped his fist, and soil rose out of the ground and hardened on his arm, creating an earth gauntlet. Bulat threw a hook to one thug square in the face, and he collapsed like a domino.

As Tatsumi continued fighting, he could see other Enthusiasts running right past him and through the gardens. Among them, Tatsumi recognized a man in a kimono. As much as he wanted to chase after him, the Enthusiasts he was fighting wouldn't give him the chance. He hoped that his friends inside would be able to handle themselves.

* * *

"Goddamn, they're throwing down out there!" Ieyasu exclaimed as he looked out a window of the mansion. He could see Tatsumi and Bulat fighting them off. "I-I think Bulat's summoning dirt from the ground! That's rad as hell!"

"SSHHHH!" hissed Sayo. "Keep quiet! If any Enthusiasts manage to get in here, I'd rather we had the advantage of surprise!"

"Ah, gotcha," said Ieyasu in a softer voice. Together the two walked down the hallway, looking down the other paths to see if anyone who shouldn't be there was roaming around. They saw the guards running down the porch through the windows, brandishing their guns and firing on the large crowd of criminals.

"You think the girls and the Legenfelts will be ok?' asked Ieyasu. "What if one of those Enthusiasts gets near their panic room and we can't get there in time?"

"That won't happen," Sayo stated firmly. "They have the other guards, and we'll try our best to protect them as well."

"Heh. You sound more sure of ourselves than I am right now. Hope I don't actually have to kill one of the-"

Suddenly, a crashing sound followed by loud shouts and gunfire rang inside the halls. The two villagers froze.

"Shit, they're inside!" groaned Ieyasu.

"Get behind that statue!" cried Sayo.

The two friends ran and ducked behind a bust of one of the Legenfelt ancestors. There they crouched anxiously as the sounds of running men grew louder and closer. Sayo drew an arrow out of her quiver, ready to load. Within seconds, a group of Enthusiasts ran into view and stopped in the middle of the room.

"All right, let's go over this one more time!" snarled Suka. "We go through the house and locate where these fops keep their valuables. Then, we find the fops ourselves and drag em' out to Boss."

Sayo and Ieyasu peeked to the side of the statue, watching and listening intently. Ieyasu noticed a familiar arm wound on Suka that had been bandaged.

"Hey, isn't that the guy you shot back in the village?" Ieyasu whispered.

Sayo looked at the man and saw the bandage. "Yep. That guy makes me mad just looking at him," she whispered back.

"Hitch, get your dog. He'll make finding the nobles faster," Suka said to a man wearing a similar kimono and a rubber nose.

"Of course," Hitch said in a silky voice. He whistled, and barking could be heard down the hall from which the Enthusiasts had entered. In a few moments, a black doberman ran into the room, barking loudly.

"Let's go!" shouted Suka, and all the men except Hitch took off. Suka noticed this over his shoulder and stopped. "The hell're you doing, Hitch? I said we're going!"

"Dog has found something," replied Hitch. "We aren't the only ones in the room."

The dog was sniffing around the room, getting closer to where Sayo and Ieyasu were hiding. The two villagers quickly stopped peeking and hid behind the statue.

"Now what do we do?" whispered a frightened Sayo.

"We might have to make a run for it," replied Ieyasu. "Keep still."

The villagers tensed up as the dog got closer and closer to the statue. Ieyasu carefully took out his axe, ready to strike. The dog stopped at the statue, sniffed some more, and snorted. It rushed down where the other Enthusiasts had gone.

"Hmm. Dog doesn't usually make mistakes. Oh well," sighed Hitch as he followed the other Enthusiasts.

The two waited until Hitch was out of sight before breathing a sigh of relief.

"Dear Yao, that was tense," puffed Sayo. "I was sure that dog would find us."

"Hey, it probably did and just got confused by the statue," chimed Ieyasu. "We should get going after-"

Suddenly, something cried out, "I'M TAKING THAT BUST!" The next instant, the statue was lifted clean off its podium by a stout Enthusiast. Sayo and Ieyasu froze.

"Ha! This will look great in my collec—Huh?" The man paused his greedy jubilation and noticed a girl carrying a bow and a boy swinging an axe right into his knee.

"GAAHHHH!" The man yelled with pain as he let go of the statue and clasped his cut knee. The statue came down with him, landing right on his head with a crash. The man slumped on the ground, knocked out.

"Fuck, that was loud. We gotta move!" cried Ieyasu. He and Sayo ran down the hallway.

"They're sure to know where we are now!" lamented Sayo as she jogged past a picture set.

Sure enough, both of them heard intense barking behind them, along with the sound of running men.

"Don't let them escape!" one of them shouted. Sayo and Ieyasu dove into another passageway. Sayo loaded an arrow and fired at the approaching Enthusiasts. The arrow hit one man's shoulder, causing him to fall. The others tripped over him, stopping their advance. The dog kept coming.

"Run, Sayo! I'll hold the dog off!" yelled Ieyasu.

"I'm not leaving you here alone!" Sayo retorted.

"Then shoot the damn mutt already!"

Sayo fired off arrow after arrow at the dog, but her stress kept her from her usually perfect aim. The arrows missed as the dog got closer.

"Sayo, get out of here _now_!" cried Ieyasu in desperation.

"I-I can't-not now-" Sayo was barely moving anymore, her body overwhelmed with tension. The doberman was closing in, aiming its lunge at her ankle.

"Shit!" Ieyasu grabbed Sayo's arm and yanked her out of the way just as the dog's jaws snapped on the empty air where Sayo's leg had been. Ieyasu practically dragged Sayo with him as he ran blindly down the hall, looking for a place to hide. He saw a set of double doors and darted through them, closing the doors behind him. He set Sayo down in the middle of the room while looking for some sort of locking mechanism. He saw a rope next to the door and yanked on it. A large block of wood fell into place, locking the doors.

"Wha-what happened?" stammered Sayo, looking around as if she didn't know where she was.

"What the hell happened, Ferenta? I told you to run, and you just froze up! That dog was about to clamp onto your calf!"

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't…I was worried about the dog, and the robbers, and I was freaking out and…I'm sorry…"

The sounds of barking and the yells of men rang out from outside the barricaded doors. Ieyasu cringed as someone shouted, "They're in there! They have to be!"

"W-Where are we, anyway?" Sayo asked uneasily as she began to fully take in her surroundings. She saw various furniture and artifacts that looked quite expensive.

"I dunno, I ducked into the first room I could see," Ieyasu replied with worry as the barking outside began to settle down. As Sayo continued to look around, she saw a familiar-looking chest along the left wall. She walked up to it and ran her fingers along the lock, wondering why it reminded her of something-and then it hit her.

"Oh, lord, Ieyasu, do you know what this room is?"

"I thought you would know, considering you're the one who does most of the indoor chores!" Ieyasu hissed softly, trying to hide his voice from the Enthusiasts.

"That question was rhetorical, airhead! I polished this chest last month when Mrs. Legenfelt asked me to clean the treasure compartments!"

"Treasure chest?" scoffed Ieyasu. "Why would there be a treasure chest in here? It's obvious that if somebody has a treasure chest, they'd keep it in…the…" Ieyasu stopped talking as he finally took in the room he'd jumped into, observing pricey jewelry, embroidered pictures, and a glowering Sayo.

"…antique…room."

…

…

"Oops."

A splintering smash resounded through the room. Sayo and Ieyasu whirled to the door and saw that the wooden lock had been cracked rather deeply.

Ieyasu turned back to Sayo sheepishly. "…Well, at least the room looks pretty."

Sayo slapped Ieyasu hard enough to send him reeling onto the floor. "IDIOT! Out of all the rooms you could have chosen to hide in, you pick the _one_ room that has everything the Enthusiasts want!"

"OK, I won't deny I deserved that, but we probably wouldn't even be in this room if you hadn't decided to move in slow motion against the damn dog!" Ieyasu retorted indignantly as he rubbed his red cheek.

" _Ohhh_ , it's _alllll_ my fault for reacting to stress, what a _load_ I am," Sayo spat back. "What if I _had_ been bitten by the dog and I couldn't walk? Would you have gone into the freaking kitchen instead?!"

"Hey, if you wanna test the dog for rabies, be my guest."

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT! You've been working in this mansion for how long, and you don't know where the antique room is? What if Aria wanted you to move the chest somewhere else? You'd never find it!"

"That's why I would go to you," replied Ieyasu with an irritated tone. "You're the intelligence and I'm the muscle." Another crash cracked the door lock further, making the two wince. "As fun as this conversation is, I'd rather work on preserving our lives from the crazy bandits," Ieyasu grimaced.

"Agreed. Do you see anything that looks strong enough to barricade the door?"

"Pshh, in _this_ room? This stuff looks like it'll break if a feather landed on it."

"Ok, then, new plan. We try to duck past the Enthusiasts once they break down the door."

"That doesn't sound realistic."

"If you have a better plan, I'd love to hear it!"

Another crash nearly split the wood in two. The duo drew their weapons. "Maybe Bulat or Tatsumi'll throw a rock or a gust that'll drop the Enthusiasts," Ieyasu suggested hopefully.

"For all we know, they could've been captured already. We have to save ourselves," Sayo responded.

Ieyasu sighed and gripped his axe tighter. "Well, the Enthusiasts are either skinny or fat. They shouldn't be too hard to bypa-"

The doors finally burst open, sending chunks of wood flying. Sayo and Ieyasu ducked to avoid the debris. A flaming object came flying into view.

" _Move_!" Sayo yelled. The duo dodged the object as it erupted on the ground, sending flaming embers in all directions.

"Gaahhh!" Sayo cried as embers struck her bow, setting it on fire. Ieyasu blocked an ember with his axe, but it caught ablaze as well.

"CrapcrapCRAP!" Ieyasu shouted as he desperately tried to fan the flames on his axe, but they quickly engulfed the weapon. With no options left, he threw the axe through the doorway. Another flaming weapon flew with it, confirming that Sayo had done the same with her burning bow.

"I spent good money on that bow," Sayo moaned. "Now all I have are my-AAAHHHHH!"

Alarmed by her scream, Ieyasu turned to Sayo and saw that her quiver, bows and all, had caught on fire. He ran to her and tugged wildly at the quiver. "Hold still, Sayo!"

"I'm trying!" Sayo cried as the flames drew closer to her clothes. With a resounding rip, Ieyasu tore the burning quiver off Sayo and threw it onto the ground, where it burned away.

Before either villager had a chance to recover their senses, the doberman burst in, snarling and barking. The duo yelped and backed up together against the wall. The other Enthusiasts entered the room with malicious smirks on their faces.

"Me and my big mouth," Ieyasu groaned.

* * *

Tatsumi hacked off the barrel of an Enthusiast's shotgun as the goon pulled the trigger, causing it to misfire. Tatsumi promptly kicked the man square in the jaw, putting him down. He blocked a punch from another Enthusiast, only to feel the sharp sting of a club hit his back. He gritted his teeth and cut the arm of the sneak attacker, causing the goon to drop his weapon in pain. Other Enthusiasts viciously attacked Tatsumi from all sides, and the young man could feel himself bring overwhelmed. He quickly sheathed his sword and spun around like a top, arms outstretched. A cyclone of wind gathered around him as he hit the Enthusiasts, sending them flying. The young man stopped spinning, releasing the gathered wind. The gusts blew away the remaining Enthusiasts. Tatsumi stopped to gather his breath. The Whirlwind Blow was useful in taking out small groups of enemies, but he knew he wouldn't be able to pull it off again if an excess of Enthusiasts mobbed him.

"Tatsumi! Are you doing all right?" asked Bulat, who was ripping a chunk of hardened soil from the ground and smashing it over an Enthusiast's head.

"Yeah. I dunno how long I can keep this up," Tatsumi panted back. He saw more Enthusiasts charging at him from the left. He took a deep breath and grasped the handle of his sword, ready to enter combat again.

"HOLD!"

The Enthusiasts stopped what they were doing and swiveled around in surprise. The voice had come from a dark spot in the trees to the northwest. Tatsumi and Bulat's turned their attention to the spot. The thicket rustled a bit, and then a familiar looking man emerged from the trees, calmly repeating, "Hold for now."

Tatsumi bristled as he recognized the man's face. Bach Howman. He watched him intently as the man casually strolled up to Bulat and him.

"So, we meet again. I had a hunch you two were involved in the disappearance of my servants," Bach said coolly.

"Servants? You kidnapped those girls!" rebuffed Tatsumi.

"And whose fault is that? People should know better than to explore this land without a guide, especially young girls from outside Aelehica. I was in the middle of teaching them that before they happened to come across you and your two other friends."

"You threatened them with a Beast. I wouldn't consider that 'teaching' as much as intimidating," Bulat responded.

"True, but that was all it was. Mere intimidation to remind them of the price of disobedience. I would never let some animal harm girls for the sake of violence. Which, speak of the devil, is what I've come to talk with you about."

"Talk to us? What would a leader of a criminal gang have to say to us?" Tatsumi demanded.

"A good amount, actually. I've come to tell you that you're drawing your weapons against the wrong people."

"Oh, so we were _wrong_ in attacking a group that assaults innocent people, ravages villages for money, and attempts to murder families? Please, Howman, educate us in the lessons of morality," Bulat retorted. Tatsumi smirked at the man's witty comeback.

Bach frowned. "You don't know that what we do is for a greater purpose. Do you honestly believe that the people you're protecting are completely innocent of any wrongdoing?"

"They seem to have a cleaner slate than you or your cronies," Tatsumi responded.

"Ah, but that's the kicker. _Seem to_. You'd be surprised at what you'd find on that slate if you gave it further inspection."

"What are you implying, Howman?" Bulat asked.

"I'm not implying, I'm _confirming_. Those supposedly innocent Legenfelts you're protecting are nothing more but another disgusting drop of the sludge that is the nobility of Aumilia."

Tatsumi raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling us that the Legenfelts have committed crimes as well?"

Bach burst out in derisive laughter. "Committed crimes? The Legenfelts are one of the most corrupt families in all Aumilia. Have they even told you how they made their fortune?"

Tatsumi stared at Bulat in confusion. Bulat shrugged back.

"It seems not. Well, then, allow me to give you a history lesson. If you two are as intelligent as you've made yourselves out to be, you'll thank me for enlightening you. And then you'll turn your wrath against the party that is truly deserving of it."

* * *

"Well, what do we have here?" Suka said with a smirk as he looked upon the two young people backed up against the wall. "If it isn't the archer bitch and her boyfriend." The Enthusiasts laughed in mockery.

Sayo shivered, trying to hide her fear. "T-The others will come for us. You won't get away with this c-cowardly assault on this mansion."

Ieyasu glanced at Sayo with annoyance and hissed out of the corner of his mouth, " _Cowardly assault?_ _Really?_ "

" _We're cornered by murderous robbers right now, and your main concern is how I'm sounding?_ " Sayo hissed back. " _I'm trying not to think about whether-"_

"Shut it!" growled Suka as he shoved Sayo down to the ground with a yelp. Ieyasu cried, "Sayo!" He reached out to her, but Hitch grabbed him and dragged him down as well.

"I've been thinkin' all day about you, girl," said Suka as he grinned at Sayo's trembling eyes. "My arm's been achin' like a motherfucker since yesterday. I'm gonna make sure you ache even more when I cut you up." He drew his knife in front of her face and smirked as the girl whimpered with fright.

"Don't you _dare_ touch her, you piece of shit," Ieyasu growled fiercely. Suka's eyes turned to the boy.

"I remember you. Looks like there's nobody else to save you know." Suka grabbed onto Ieyasu and drew the knife to his face, making him jerk his head away from the sharp weapon. "I think I'll slice you as an appetizer first."

"N-No, please don't hurt him!" Sayo cried as Ieyasu flinched against the cold steel inches from his cheek. She tried to move, but Hitch quickly pinned her down.

"And what're you gonna do about it?" Suka sneered. The other Enthusiasts laughed and jeered.

"Suka, if I may interrupt," Hitch said, "but I have a different resolution to your revenge plot."

"What?"

Hitch beckoned his doberman, and the dog panted beside him. "Dog here has been my companion for many years. We've killed and stolen together. Unfortunately, my line of work has left Dog unable to relieve his instinctual desires."

Sayo and Ieyasu stared in confusion at the rubber-nosed man as Suka listened intently.

"Believe it or not, Dog is currently in heat right now. He doesn't have a mate to relieve himself. So, I suggest we use the girl as a vessel for Dog to indulge in his natural behaviors."

Suka grinned wickedly as he realized what Hitch was suggesting. Sayo, still confused, struggled against Hitch as he opened her legs in the direction of Dog. Ieyasu was quickly putting two and two together. "Wait, if that dog's in heat, what'll it do to…. _Oh, shit_."

The truth had just hit Sayo as well, and she had turned completely pale. " _N-N-Nononoyoucan't-pleasedon't-I-I'lldoanything-pleasenotthat"_

Suka laughed at the bug-eyed Sayo shaking with terror. "Ahh, I love it when a pretty girl is broken down. All right, Hitch, you got your wish! I'll have to indulge myself with the boy."

"NO! Don't you fucking-" Ieyasu fought and struggled, but some Enthusiasts had held him tight so he could get a full view of Sayo. Other Enthusiasts were holding Sayo's legs open and tugging at her clothes while she desperately cried out, "HELP! SOMEONE HELP US! ANYBODY! PLEASE! _"_

"Scream all you want, pups. You're all alone." Suka sniggered. He turned to Ieyasu and gloated, "You're getting a front-row seat to the ruin of your girlfriend's innocence, and all she'll hear from you are the gurgles of a tongueless man."

"N-No…" Ieyasu whimpered. He was completely helpless to save Sayo, and she couldn't help him, either. He didn't know a damn thing about hand-to-hand combat. He needed a weapon, any weapon. He frantically scanned the room for anything he could use against the robbers. Sayo was doing the same. Hitch held the barking and slobbering Dog still, waiting for Sayo's undergarments to be removed. Suka readied the knife, prepared to cut Ieyasu's mouth open.

"Time to put a smile on-"

And in that instant, Ieyasu finally saw something in the corner of the room. It was a finely-shaped axe, mounted next to an elegant-looking bow, stored in a display case sitting on a table. He had to get to the case now. Moving with strength he didn't know he had, he somehow managed to force his restrained arm to grab Suka's wrist, and, before anyone knew what was happening, jerk the held knife into the Enthusiast holding his arm.

"AAGGHHH!" The man yelled in pain, and without even knowing how he was doing it, Ieyasu somehow threw off the other Enthusiasts holding onto him. He made a mad dash for the display case, running with speed he'd never tapped into before.

Sayo watched in complete surprise as Ieyasu shook off three larger men and dashed toward the corner of the room. She swelled with fear for Ieyasu's safety, and, much to her own amazement, freed her arms from the Enthusiasts holding them. She dashed with Ieyasu towards the display case. Together they tore open the glass doors of the case and grabbed the weapons they were most skilled with-Ieyasu grabbed the axe and Sayo grabbed the bow.

Nobody could have predicted what happened next.

A burst of energy came from the weapons, coating Sayo and Ieyasu in a translucent aura. The other Enthusiasts watched in dumbfounded amazement as the energy seemed to soak into Sayo and Ieyasu's bodies. The two villagers felt completely exhilarated, like they were being reborn. Finally, the energy faded away, leaving Sayo and Ieyasu standing in the corner with the weapons.

"W-What is this?!" Suka cried indignantly.

Sayo and Ieyasu stood in amazement, gazing at their weapons. Ieyasu's axe was double-bladed and felt as light as a feather. Sayo's bow was finely constructed. She felt something warm on her back and discovered that there was a new quiver on her back, housing several arrows.

Hitch was so astonished that he forgot to keep a firm hold on Dog. The Doberman squirmed free of his master's grasp and bolted towards the two friends.

Sayo saw the dog coming and instinctively loaded an arrow. She fired, and the arrow shot with near instantaneous speed straight into the dog's skull. The dog collapsed, dead. Hitch's jaw dropped in shock. The other Enthusiasts were frozen with awe, unable to make a move.

"Don't just stand there, you fops! Kill them!" Suka yelled.

The Enthusiasts barreled on them with a shout. Ieyasu swung his axe at an approaching Enthusiast, but missed completely. The axe collided with the ground, creating a shockwave of force so strong it knocked everyone off their feet. Suka gaped at Sayo and Ieyasu in bewilderment.

"How…what…why…"

Sayo saw that her attacker was stunned, and she aimed an arrow at him. "Let's see how _you_ break down."

Suka's eyes widened, and the man who never ran from a fight made a beeline for the door, shouting, "Everyone retreat!" The others dashed after him, leaving the room as quickly as they'd entered it, apart from Hitch, who mournfully cradled the corpse of his pet before running away with the mutt in his arms.

Sayo and Ieyasu stayed still, catching their breath. A few moments of silence went by as they relaxed their bodies until they finally turned to each other and asked in unison, "What the hell just happened?"

* * *

"The Legenfelts first came into prominence in the year 734. A rather meager man named Albernian Legenfelt was a gambler by trade, using his wits and impulsive tendencies to take riches from people much wealthier than him. Albernian was known as a crook and a liar that would take anything not nailed down in a store for himself. As he became richer and his reputation grew in infamy, Albernian grew bolder in his actions to preserve his wealth. He once bribed a group of criminals to kill a banker questioning the legitimacy of his deposits."

"Ok, so the Legenfelt ancestor wasn't a shining example of pure-blooded nobility," Tatsumi said. "How does that make the Legenfelts an acceptable target for murder and robbery?"

Bach smiled ruefully. "Albernian decided that he would like to have a family so he could have a legacy. He married the daughter of a mining tycoon and raised his children to be ruthless in pursuit of wealth and merriment. Since Albernian's time, the Legenfelts have been cheating and bribing their way through time, committing more daring gambles and thefts until one Legenfelt committed the boldest con job of all."

"And what would that be?" questioned Tatsumi.

"Warton's father, Frederick Legenfelt, visited a military depot led by a new, inexperienced captain. Using his wiles, Frederick tricked the captain into detonating a portion of bombs, destroying a chunk of the depot. Terrified, the captain begged Frederick to give him enough money to pay off the damages before his superiors found out. Frederick agreed, but only if the captain gave him two weapons he'd seen that he wanted: _Belvaac_ and _L'Arc Qui Ne Faut._

Bulat's eyed widened. "T-Those two weapons are-"

"Teigu, yes," Bach finished with a smirk. "With cunning and bribery, Frederick managed to acclaim two ancient magical relics for his family. For all we know, Warton could steal an entire Aumilian battleship in the future. Thanks to us, however, that won't be happening. The Legenfelts will be punished for their arrogant hubris tonight!"

Bulat stroked his chin as he gave a questioning stare to Bach. "Explain this, Howman. Your group raids villages for treasures and money. You've pretended to be a noble to deceive a noble family. In addition, you seem to know how to keep people and an animal in check. Why are you _really_ doing this?"

Bach hesitated for a moment as he seemed to ponder what to say. Tatsumi and Bulat waited for his reply. Finally, Bach sighed and looked straight at Bulat with a frown.

"You wish to know why I'm attacking villages? Killing nobles? Fine, I'll indulge you. I have personally witnessed the cruelty the noble families of Aumilia are capable of. Their status and social power have allowed them to commit several atrocities without question or just reprisal. How did I witness this? Well, gentlemen, allow me to reveal to you a personal secret."

Bach started to unbutton his shirt. Tatsumi tensed up, unsure if Bach was about to pull out a weapon. Bulat didn't move. Bach stopped unbuttoning just above his belt. With a smile, the man pulled his shirt open, exposing his bare skin. Tatsumi's eyes widened at what he saw.

Bach had a bright red scar directly in the middle of his chest. The scar was a perfect circle, signifying that the mark had been branded on him. The Enthusiasts present murmured in surprise, unaware that their leader had such a mark.

"Wha…What is that?" Tatsumi stammered.

"A Brand of Possession," Bulat said grimly. "A scar left by a brand that indicates the property of someone superior. They're usually seen on livestock, but a brand on a human indicates that they're someone else's property." He turned to Bach with an expression of pity. "You were a slave."

Bach's smile widened. "How perceptive of you! It seems you are as smart as you made yourself out to be. My scar isn't something I show off to anyone, you know. Not even my own men have seen this mark. You, however, are special. I trust you already know why I decided to show you my scar?"

"Because you're convinced that we'll accept your story," Bulat answered. "What happened to you?"

"A long story, my friend. I don't have time to go through the details, so I'll abridge this as much as I can. I was born to a poor family in the outskirts of Aelehica. We struggled with our lives, making sacrifices to make ends meet. One day, while we were in the fields gardening, a visitor came by. He offered my father a new job and home near the capital city in exchange for our home. My parents were delighted and accepted the offer. We sold our house to him and rode with him in his cart to where we assumed would be our new house. Unfortunately, it was all a cruel farce. We arrived at a mansion, where some guards took my parents away to allegedly 'meet with our employers' while I would wait in another room. It would be the last time I ever saw my parents alive again."

Tatsumi had relaxed his body, listening to Bach's story. Bulat stated completely still. Bach's hands began to tremble as he continued.

"I was just nine years old at the time, so I assumed everything would be all right. I was led to a dark room, where I stood confused as the guards surrounding me prepared some tools. Before I knew it, I'd been stripped naked, bound, and gagged as a guard took a flaming-hot brand out of burning coal. I struggled and pleaded with tears in my eyes, but they just looked at me with emotionless faces as they lowered the brand onto my chest. It was the worst pain I'd ever felt in my life at that point. The scar still aches, even now."

Tatsumi was appalled at the cruelty Bach had described. What kind of person would scar someone else as property, let alone a _child_? Bulat continued staring at Bach, no visible emotion on his face.

"I quickly learned that I'd become a slave to the Rance family. I was to clean the house and tend to the gardens. For months, I begged the family to tell me where my parents had gone. They would either ignore me or beat me. Eventually, I was told to clean out one of the sheds in the back of the mansion lawns. As I entered the shed, I was overwhelmed by a nauseating stench. As I searched the shed, trying to find the source of the stench, I came across a door on the floor. When I opened it, I found a sickening surprise. A horde of bodies, mangled and torn. They looked like they'd been rotting for months. When I took a closer look at the pile-" Bach's voice began to quiver. "-I saw two bodies lying there wearing the shredded clothes my parents wore when we left the house. I found a notebook lying on a desk in the shed that explained how they died. The bastards injected them with Lubora."

Some of the Enthusiasts winced at the mention of Lubora. They were aware of just how horrific the effects of the disease were.

"The nobles watched with glee as my parents slowly rotted to death before them. I found other entries of people being burned, whipped, forced to eat wretched things, and other horrors. I was trapped in a nightmare, and there was no way for a child like me to escape. So I endured the abuse of the Rances for 12 years, getting an education from the books in their storage room. Once I reached adulthood, the Rances let me go out shopping for food and supplies. During those trips, I met with some shady individuals looking for money. I promised them all the wealth of the Rances if they would assist me in eliminating them. They agreed, and in almost no time at all, the Rances were dead and their wealth ours. On that night as I watched the bastards' corpses burn with their mansion, I vowed to dedicate myself into revenging myself, my family, and all the slaves who have suffered at the hands of entitled nobility. Since then, I've led my Enthusiasts in killing nobles and taking their money for ourselves. We shall use our resources to free the remaining slaves suffering under nobility and have them join our cause! That is why I want you two to join me! You're both intelligent enough to understand my perspective, so what are you waiting for? Join us, and we shall bring righteous revenge!"

* * *

"S-Should someone go outside to see what's going on?" asked Aria nervously.

The Legenfelts and the three girls had taken refuge in a safe room in the mansion basement. Warton, Celia, and Aria were huddled in a corner of the room while Air, Fal, and Luna stood watching the door anxiously.

"Not a good idea," Air replied. "It's better to wait for one of the guards to knock on the door first."

"H-How shall we be notified if the person outside the door is a guard?" asked Luna with worry. "As far as I know, the door has no peephole."

"We'll just open the door a crack. If it's a guard, we'll let them in. If it's an Enthusiast, Fal will knock him out before he can attack us!" Air said cheerfully, masking her uncertainty.

"Ya know, I don't think we thought this plan out enough," Fal groaned.

"It'll work, I'm sure!" Air said with a fake smile. To herself, she thought, " _I can't show doubt in front of everybody else. I just need to stay calm, and we'll make it out of here a-o-"_

A loud thud shook the door, and Air screamed at the top of her lungs, "OH GOD PLEASE NO I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE NONONOOOOOOO!"

The family sat in shock as Air crumbled into a trembling mess, cowering behind Fal. Luna lowered her face into her hands in embarrassment. Fal looked like she wanted to kill herself. "Don't worry, Air, I'll kick some ass for you. Pardon my language," she said in the most deadpan tone imaginable.

The door continued to rattle as locks could be heard unfastening. Celia whispered, "Oh, Yao help us," and wrapped her arms around Aria, who was shivering with fright. Warton sat protectively in front of his wife and daughter, determined to protect them to his last breath. Luna moved closer to Air and Fal, frightened. Fal took a fighting stance, trying not to let the others see that she was just as scared as Air. Air had let go of Fal and stood next to Luna, trembling in anticipation.

More locks were heard opening until at last the door was opened wide open and a stranger cheerfully yelled, "WHAT'S UP, MY FAM-"

Fal let out a shriek of determination and pure fear as she slugged the stranger right in the jaw. The stranger twisted around as he collapsed on the ground, squeaking "-iliars." Another stranger watched him go down with an indifferent expression. As her body suppressed adrenaline, Fal realized the strangers weren't strangers at all.

"S-Sayo?" she gasped. "Wait, if you're here, then that means-OH FUCK!" she screamed as she turned to Ieyasu. "I'm really freaking sorry, man! Are you ok?"

"I-I'll be fine," Ieyasu groaned as he pulled himself up. "Knew it was a bad idea to try to surprise you."

"If you knew, then why didn't _you_ stop him?" Air asked Sayo.

"Some lessons have to be learned the hard way," Sayo replied with a straight face. "With Ieyasu, the hard way happens relatively often."

"Oh, jolly day!" Warton cried with delight. "You're both all right! How is everything going?"

"It's been…eventful," Sayo replied. "We had to deal with some Enthusiasts, but we managed to drive them out of the mansion." She decided to leave out the part where she'd nearly been sodomized by a dog. Just thinking about it almost made her laugh in how ridiculous and terrifying it was.

"We ended up losing our weapons in the struggle, but fortunately, we got new ones from the antique room. I hope you don't mind us using them, sir?" Ieyasu asked Warton.

"Certainly not, my b-" Warton started. His words turned into a gasp as he recognized the weapons his two servants held. "Oh, my, do you know what you've-"

"We're really sorry for entering the antique room without permission, but we had to take refuge from the Enthusiasts," Sayo said. "We'll make sure the room is in the same state it was in before the attack."

"N-No, that's not what I-"

"We'll return the weapons as well, sir," Ieyasu interrupted. "Right now, we're going to go outside to help our friends fight the other Enthusiasts off. Ready, Sayo?"

"Yeah," she answered. "Please stay safe, everyone!"

"Be careful!" Luna called out as the two villagers turned to leave. Warton urgently cried, "Wait! You two need to-"

"We'll protect ourselves, sir!" Sayo called out as she ran up the stairs with Ieyasu.

Fal shut the door and breathed a sigh of satisfaction. "Well, that went a hell of a lot better than I thought it would."

"Indeed. I was certain Air's panic attack would have given away our location," Luna remarked.

"I'm sorry, all right? I came to Aumilia to work peacefully, not hide for my life from bandits," Air moaned.

Warton still looked shaken. Aria noticed her father's worry and said, "I'm sure they'll be alright, daddy. They have new weapons to defend themselves with."

"Oh, darling, that's precisely what I'm concerned about. They have no idea what they've found, or what it means for them," Warton replied grimly.

"Warton? Is there something about those weapons you haven't told us?" asked Celia.

Warton sighed. "If we make it out of this crisis with all our body parts intact, I'll tell you. Right now, we must continue holding out."

Thus, the group settled back down, waiting out the calamity.

* * *

Tatsumi stood shocked at what he'd just heard. Bach had been through hell for no reason at all. After hearing Bach's story, Tatsumi didn't have as much fervor to defeat him as he had before. In addition, Bach's story had further damaged his perception of Aumilia. Slave rings? Here? In an empire that was supposed to be the most civilized realm on Gaea? Bulat's laments on the corruption of Aumilia now rang doubtless in Tatsumi's mind.

Bulat kept standing still for a moment, silently staring at Bach. The Enthusiasts looked back and forth at their leader and the two men, waiting for a response. After a bit of silence, Bulat spoke up.

"Did the village you attacked yesterday have any noble families living there?"

Bach scoffed. "Of course not! We attacked the village to bolster our resources!"

"Did any of the money you attempted to steal belong to nobles?"

"N-No, but we have to increase our money _some_ way! It was just a necessary errand!"

"Were the families screaming for help as your men laughed about how they were going to hurt them oppressed slaves?

Bach lost his patience. "ENOUGH! You think I personally order my men to maim others? I've recruited vagabonds and ruffians from the seediest parts of Aumilian towns for my group! Of course they're going to express violent tendencies! It's all for a greater cause! Don't you see that?"

Bulat sighed before speaking in a gentle tone. "What happened to was completely unfair and a terrible violation of the rights promised by this empire. I understand your anger and frustration at the family that oppressed you. Slave rings shouldn't exist in a country that presents itself as the crown jewel of Gaea. There's a lot of things wrong with Aumilia other than slave rings, and they stand out like raging zits on our empire."

Bach stood confused, unsure of where Bulat was going with his words. Tatsumi listened curiously as Bulat continued in a harsher tone.

"However, not all nobles are as wicked as the ones who stole you from your home. The Legenfelts may not have a clean record, but the family I've met seems different than the sneaky con artists you've told us about. You could be right about them misbehaving behind our backs. They may even be planning to con us while we speak. That doesn't make them any more deserving of pillaging and execution. You and your Enthusiasts have ravaged villages, threatened innocent lives, all without any remorse. The only major threat I see in front of me is you and your gang of thieves. In the name of my boss, I'm taking you down!"

Tatsumi's eyes shone with determination. Bulat was right. Even if the Legenfelts were as corrupt as Bach had claimed, the Enthusiasts were still just a bunch of robbers. They had no right to pass judgement on others after what they'd done.

Bach looked solemn for a moment. Before he could do anything, however, a rush of men came from the mansion. Suka and his gang barreled down the lawn, meeting with their leader.

"H-Howman! W-We couldn't find the family," puffed Suka. "T-Two kids.. _huuh_..had weapons.. _haah_..had to get out of there."

Bach overlooked the shaken bandits, noting the limp body of Dog in Hitch's arms. "Get back with the others. We'll have to break out our _own_ special weapon."

Suka and the robbers joined the other Enthusiasts, who were brandishing their weapons. "So I assume that's a firm refusal of my offer, then?" Bach said to Bulat. The former slave didn't need to hear a reply. Bulat's stone-faced resolve said it all.

"Fine. You will simply be another stepping stone the Enthusiasts will walk over to achieve our purpose. It's time for you to vanish." Bach put his fingers to his lips and let out a loud whistle that could be heard all over the mansion grounds. A few moments of silence passed before a loud roar broke the stillness. A giant black shape burst out of the trees, chained up. Its chains were being held by several Enthusiasts, who were barely keeping their feet on the ground. As the moonlight settled on the shape, Bulat tensed his body, his suspicions confirmed. Tatsumi gulped as he recognized the Beast. It was an Apeman. The beast growled and shook its head in fury as it struggled against the chains.

The sound of two people running caught Tatsumi's ears. He turned and saw Sayo and Ieyasu rushing towards him.

"Tatsumi! We're here to help you finish off the remaining roooooOOOOOH MY GOD!" Sayo screamed as she saw the Beast in the darkness.

"Dude. Is that a freaking mutated gorilla?" a stunned Ieyasu asked.

"Apeman. Frankly, a mutated gorilla isn't too far off from this guy," Tatsumi replied grimly.

Bach snapped his fingers, and the Enthusiasts in charge of the Apeman let go of his chains, running towards the others as fast as they could. The Apeman's red eyes widened at the lack of pressure of his body, and within seconds he'd torn off all the chains on his body.

"B-Boss? How're we supposed to avoid getting the tar beaten outta us by that thing?" an Enthusiast asked uncertainly as the Apeman began focusing on the many humans in front of it.

Bach pulled out a whistle from his coat pocket. "The sound of this whistle will prevent the Apeman from attacking me. As for you, my friend, you'll have to improvise."

The Enthusiast's face paled as the Apeman pounded its chest, a tell that it was about to attack. Bach put the whistle to his lips with a small smile and gently blew in it once. A faint squealing sound came from the whistle, causing the Apeman to immediately convulse in pain. Angered, the snarling Beast slammed his fists onto the ground and charged towards the humans.

"Don't be distracted! Take the mansion!" Bach yelled out to the panicked Enthusiasts, who were running away from the Beast barreling towards them. The Apeman picked up a screaming goon and hurled him into a mansion window. Broken glass flew in all directions as chaos erupted on the Legenfelt lawn.

"T-Tatsumi, w-what do you know about Apemen?" Sayo asked with fright. "Because now would be a _really_ good time to learn how to s-stop one."

Tatsumi recalled what he'd learned about Apemen back at the academy. Aggressive gorilla-based creatures, Apemen were about three times faster and five times stronger than a regular human. Without training in magic to strengthen the body past its limits, a human didn't stand a chance against it in combat.

"I don't think I'm skilled enough in magic to fight it. You guys wouldn't stand a chance," Tatsumi remarked nervously.

"But we got these new weapons from the mansion!" Ieyasu remarked boldly. "We could at least _try_ to give that beast a bruise with 'em."

"The keywords in what you just said were _just got_. I'm not familiar with these arrows," Sayo complained as she took out an arrow. "We should get the guards inside to try to shoot it down."

"K-kill it?" Tatsumi murmured in worry. He remembered how his teacher in class said that Beasts were just abnormal animals, and that while around them, it was humane not to kill them unless necessary to save human lives. Tatsumi loved beasts, and he dreaded the thought of having to kill one if necessary. However, the Apeman was known for its aggression during combat, and the one thrashing around in the lawn wasn't showing any signs of stopping soon.

His thoughts were interrupted by something hitting the ground next to him. He turned and met Bulat's gaze. "Tatsumi, I want you to stick around here with your friends. That Beast is too strong for any of you to handle. I'll fight it off. Stay here and keep safe."

"B-Bulat! You're seriously going to fight it all by yourself?!" Tatsumi exclaimed.

"That thing's _huge_ , man! You need help!" Ieyasu chimed in.

Bulat smiled. "All I need is _this_ ," he said as he tapped the jewel on his belt. Tatsumi gasped in realization.

"You're going to use that armor thing? Will it protect you?"

"In more ways than you think," Bulat replied with a grin. "I'll be fine. Just keep yourself and your friends safe."

As Bulat turned to leave, Tatsumi said, "Uh, Bulat?"

"What?'

"…Try not to kill him if you don't have to."

Bulat paused as he looked at Tatsumi's concerned face, caught off guard by the young man's show of compassion for the beast. He smiled as he replied, "I'll do my best!" He walked down the lawn, eyeing the Apeman as it rampaged and beat down any unlucky Enthusiast who happened to be in its way. " _Didn't think I'd have to use Incursio on a job like this. Oh, well, I promised Tatsumi a show._ " The jewel on Bulat's belt glowed as he took a deep breath. With a gleam in his eyes, he shouted, " _Incursio: Activate!_ "

Bulat's body shone with a magical aura as the belt began to expand over his body. The sound of transforming metal rang over the lawn. As Incursio wrapped over Bulat's body, it began adjusting and reforming to fit Bulat's physique. Tatsumi, Sayo, and Ieyasu watched in astonishment.

"Boss! That guy's transforming into something!" an Enthusiast cried.

Bach watched intently as Bulat's Teigu constructed itself. " _So he possesses a Teigu himself. Not surprising, considering his fighting skills and use of earth magic. The Apeman should be able to take care of him nonetheless._ "

Bulat's head was covered by armor, adjusting into a helm. Two yellow eyes shone out from the helm. Incursio had been unleashed. Bulat stood in the middle of the lawn, his imposing muscles prominently showing as Incursio's long cape flowed in the wind.

An Enthusiast ran towards Bulat, yelling as he threw a punch. Bulat didn't budge as the man's fist met his helmet. The crack of knuckles and wrist bones being broken rang out. The Enthusiast howled with pain as he clutched his broken hand, only to be knocked out in one punch to the skull. Another man took out a gun and shot repeatedly at Bulat. The bullets bounced off him as Bulat approached the gunman, some bullets hitting other Enthusiasts. Bulat grabbed the gun and crunched it in his hand. The gunman watched, stunned, before being thrown across the lawn.

Other Enthusiasts who had escaped the wrath of the Apeman charged Bulat. The armored man put his hand on the ground, and a plume of earth rose under his feet. With a motion of his arms, Bulat rode the earth down the lawn, burying Enthusiasts who got in his way.

"I-Is he surfing the ground?" Sayo asked, her eyes wide. Ieyasu's jaw was almost detached from his body.

"Yep," replied Tatsumi, equally impressed. His gaze was broken by the yell of an Enthusiast about to hit him with a bat. He promptly punched him in the stomach, took his bat, and laid him out with a swift strike. Throwing the bat to the ground, he said, "Let's try to pick off the rest of the Enthusiasts while Bulat's fighting that Apeman!"

"That shouldn't be too hard," Ieyasu said coolly as he observed the few remaining Enthusiasts who hadn't been beaten into submission by the Apeman. "'Specially since we got new weapons,"

"But we still don't know how to properly use them," Sayo pointed out.

"Now's a good time to learn," Ieyasu replied as he ran towards the other Enthusiasts.

Sayo sighed in frustration. "This night has been, hands down, the freakiest and most stressful part of my life to date. I don't know when it's going to end! It's all your fault!" she pouted as she pointed an accusing finger at Tatsumi. "If you'd have just walked off by yourself after saving our cart, I would be back in my hut, thinking about work and food for the week and normal people things, instead of freaking out about the idea of having my virginity taken away by a _fucking_ DOG!"

Tatsumi blinked twice, replaying Sayo's last few words in his head. "Virginity taken away by dog-Sayo, what the fuck?"

"Never mind. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. We'd still be attacked by Enthusiasts and I'd still lose my bow. Possibly," Sayo grumbled. "So, I suppose we'd better protect Ieyasu from making an ass out of himself for the third time tonight."

Ieyasu was swinging his axe at Enthusiasts, yelling bombastic threats and boasts. Tatsumi cheekily responded, "Can't put him down for being such an _enthusiast_ , right?" before immediately running at full speed towards the spot where Ieyasu was fighting.

Sayo stood still for a second, processing Tatsumi's joke. Within the next seconds, she was barreling into the fight, screaming, "BOTH OF YOU! I'M KILLING BOTH OF YOU WHEN WE'RE DONE HERE, YOU HEAR ME?!"

Bulat stopped his rock slide near the Apeman's back. The sound of crumbling rocks met the Beast's ears. It whirled around to face the armored man. It growled ferociously as Bulat took a fighting stance.

"Your move, monkey."

The Apeman roared as it lunged towards Bulat. He dodged a flurry of punches and threw a counter blow at the Apeman's midsection. Barely fazed, the Apeman chomped down on Bulat's arm, its teeth not making a scratch on the magical armor. A kick to the face sent the Apeman reeling. Bulat continued strafing the beast with punches and kicks to vital parts of the Apeman's body, evading the beast's wild thrashes. Bulat jumped high in the air and prepared a magical attack. "Piercing-" His attack was cut off by the Apeman jumping after him, grabbing Bulat, and slamming him back into the ground. The beast whopped as he held Bulat by the leg and repeatedly slammed him into the ground. With a final slam, the Apeman let go of Bulat and rumbled towards the remaining humans.

" _Sorry, kid. I've been trying to pull my punches so the beast won't be too hurt, but it looks like it's not giving me a choice,_ " Bulat thought to himself as he shook off the dizziness and got to his feet. He ran after the Apeman, knocking out Enthusiasts in his path.

Ieyasu was having a blast as he attacked any Enthusiast unfortunate enough to enter his line of vision. One man tried to assault him with a knife, only to be met with a kick to the ribs. As the man fell, Ieyasu pinned him down with his boot and proudly bragged, "You shouldn't have messed with the greatest axeman Aumilia's ever had! Now you're gonna learn what happens when you try to-"

Ieyasu heard something cock next to him. He turned his head and saw an Enthusiast holding a gun at point blank range next to his skull. He gulped and dropped his weapon, holding up his hands.

"Goodbye, runt," the Enthusiast chuckled as he fingered the trigger. Suddenly, an arrow knocked the gun from the criminal's hand. The Enthusiast barely had time to react before Tatsumi tackled him to the ground and rendered him unconscious with one good blow to his temple.

"Seems you're doing well," Sayo remarked as she smacked the Enthusiast Ieyasu had pinned out with her bow. "You lasted more than a minute before you had to be saved again."

"I totally had it under control," Ieyasu lied. "I would've chopped that gun away with my new axe right as the guy was about to shoot!"

"Sure you would. Try to stay with us for more than a few minutes, please? We'll be more effective as a fighting group if we're an actual _group_ ," Sayo pleaded.

"Sayo's right," Tatsumi said as he walked up to them. "I don't want to see either of you guys hurt, and if we stick together, there's less chance of that happening."

Ieyasu picked up his axe."All right, but as long as we share the glory of beating the Enthusiasts equally. I don't want either of you two getting brownie points with the Legenfelts after this without my knowledge!"

Tatsumi chuckled. "Oh, you don't have to worry about m-"

"RRAAAGGHHH!" yelled Suka as he swung a knife at the young man. Tatsumi heard the shout and barely ducked out of the way, the knife's blade ripping a hole in his jacket. Hitch tried to grab him, only to get an arrow in his shoulder. Tatsumi got to his feet as he took in the group of Enthusiasts before him.

"You little shits have pissed me off beyond belief tonight," Suka snarled angrily. "You've wounded my arm, make me look like a fool in front of the boss, and ruined my looting spree! Hell, you even killed Hitch's mutt! It was a damn fine mutt, too!" Hitch nodded in agreement, still looking gloomy.

"You guys tried to kill us! You tried to _sodomize_ me with that dog!" Sayo shouted furiously. Tatsumi looked at Ieyasu in utter confusion. Ieyasu waved it off with a you-don't-want-to-know face. Tatsumi got the hint.

"You should've died while you had the chance! But now, you're all gonna get cut up niiiice and slow," Suka sneered, unaware of the gorilla-like shape approaching him from behind. Ieyasu noticed the shape and frantically pointed it out to the others, who saw it and gained expressions of oh-crap on their faces.

"It's time for you all to-HEY! Where the hell do you think you're going?!" Suka exclaimed angrily as the three young people ran to the side of the gardens. "GET THEM!"

Hitch looked over his shoulder to check for guards and went bug eyed. "SUKA, MOVE!" he cried as he ran away.

"What the-" Suka stuttered as he saw Hitch run away with fellow Enthusiasts that had turned around. Suka turned around and saw an angry Apeman rushing on all fours towards him.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Suka yelled as he began to run for his life, but he was too late. With one wide sweep, the Apeman caught Suka by his injured arm and shook him like a doll. Suka screamed as he felt his arm injury tearing from the shaking. "Get your filthy hands off me, you damn dirty ape!" he shrieked desperately. The Apeman took no heed of this and continued shaking Suka and throwing him against the ground, battering him badly.

"S-Should we help him?" Tatsumi asked aloud as he hid with his friends in the gardens.

"And get close to _that_ animal? Yeah, no thanks," Ieyasu retorted.

A large stone shattered against the Apeman's back. The Beast roared and whipped around. Bulat was conjuring large boulders from his hands and throwing them at the Apeman. The Beast growled as its body was rocked by the boulders. Fragments of the boulders shot in all directions, injuring the Enthusiasts.

"I-Is he making rocks out of thin air?" Ieyasu asked in complete amazement.

"No, he's making them out of magic," replied Sayo, who had quickly gotten wise to the powers of mages. "See his hands? There's some kind of glowing energy coming from them every time he creates a boulder."

Tatsumi stared at Bulat's hands. His hands were indeed pulsating with energy, made clearer by the shining glow it made on Bulat's armored fingers. Tatsumi was fascinated. He wanted to learn more. He wanted to see more magic in action.

Of course, that would have to wait. The Apeman grasped the barely conscious Suka and flung him into Hitch. As the two men rolled on the grass, the Apeman lumbered towards them and savagely pounded them with its fists. Its blows were halted by Bulat's foot kicking him in the head. The Apeman staggered, clearly having been injured by the blow. It jumped at Bulat with a wild yell, trying to stomp him into the dirt. Bulat easily dodged the jumps and dropkicked the Apeman mid-jump, sending it sprawling on the lawn. As Bulat continued fighting it, Tatsumi noticed that there weren't many Enthusiasts left that were still standing. He turned to Sayo and Ieyasu, saying, "Let's finish them off, guys."

"Right!" Ieyasu said excitedly while Sayo nodded in determination.

Together, the three went out and fought the rest of the Enthusiasts. Sayo was beginning to get the hang of her new bow, aiming it more confidently. Ieyasu still went out looking for trouble, but didn't brag, focusing on the mission. Tatsumi put his academy training to good use. Before they knew it, all the Enthusiasts in the vicinity were either unconscious or too injured to keep fighting.

"It's done," Tatsumi exclaimed, taking a deep breath.

"Thank Yao," Sayo panted.

"Not really," Ieyasu said suspiciously. "Where's that Bach punk?"

"Right here."

The three whirled around and saw Bach standing behind them, a pistol in one hand aimed at them and a whistle in the other.

"I highly doubt that even promising young fighters like you can dodge bullets. It would pain me to be forced to investigate the possibility," Bach said with a small smile. "Weapons. On the ground. _Now_."

Reluctantly, the three friends dropped their weapons on the ground. Sayo defiantly stated, "You've lost, Bach. Your Enthusiasts are beaten. The Legenfelts are safe. You've gotten nothing and lost everything."

"Oh, I beg to differ. My hideout is still safely kept hidden, along with all the treasures and antiques taken from nobles who don't deserve them. The Enthusiasts are easily replaceable. Money and mayhem are tempting offers to the underworld of Aumilia. Unfortunately for you, none of you will survive to tell others of our mission."

"Even if you kill us, the Legenfelts will tell the country about your robberies," Ieyasu retorted. "It'll only be a matter of time before you and your gang are arrested."

"Is that how you see me? As a robber?" Bach asked, aggression rising in his voice. "The only _robbers_ I've encountered in my life are the members of the family that took everything I had in my life for their own. I do this for the many people who've suffered at the hands of nobles. You could never understand what I went through. Now then," he said as he cocked the gun, "any last words?"

Sayo and Ieyasu said nothing. Tatsumi was deep in thought recalling everything Bach had said about his life as a slave. Something had been pulling at his mind about Bach's story, something that egged him on. Without warning, Tatsumi felt a revelation come onto him.

"Well, then, I bid you all fare-"

"Do you still have compassion?"

Bach stopped, unsure of what Tatsumi meant. "Excuse me?"

"For slaves. You still care about them, right?"

Bach scoffed. "What kind of question is that? Of course I care about the slaves. What on Gaea would prompt you to ask that?"

"Well, I was getting a bit confused, what with your motivation and actions. You say that you're doing this to avenge slaves and get revenge on nobles, but instead of destroying their wealth, you're keeping it for yourself."

"Yes, so?" Bach asked impatiently.

"Well, didn't the noble family that took you from your home steal you for themselves?"

"Y-Yes…" Bach replied, uncertainty in his voice.

"And you said that you hire people from the seedier parts of Aumilia for the Enthusiasts. Isn't that a move that people would expect from corruption?"

Bach stopped responding completely. His face had gone completely blank as Tatsumi's words sunk into his brain.

"With all the wealth you've stolen, you've become richer than any of the nobles you've attacked. You're practically a noble yourself. So, tell me, with all the money you've gotten and the thugs you've hired, will you seriously still give a damn about the slaves you're working so hard to avenge?"

The wind blew softly as Bach stood motionless, his mind racing. He remembered the peacefulness of his home and his parents harvesting crops in their field. He remembered how quickly it had all gone away and how he'd known nothing but confinement for so many years. Would his parents be pleased with what he was doing with his new life? Slowly, the gun in his hand lowered. Bach was beside himself, calling into question everything he'd done since he'd escaped from the Rances. His thoughts were interrupted by the crash of the Apeman a few feet away from him. Bulat hurled boulders at the Apeman, who'd been badly injured by Bulat's continued assault. It lumbered towards Bach, who immediately grasped his whistle and blew on it. The Apeman roared with pain, covering its ears and ripping up the ground. Bulat ran to Bach and smacked the whistle out of his hand, shouting, "NO! You're just making him angrier!"

But it was too late. With a new level of fury burning in its eyes, the Apeman charged towards the humans with a roar and punched Bulat across the lawn. It turned its attention to the three young fighters, only to be surprised by gunshots penetrating its body. Tatsumi looked to see where the gunshots were coming from and saw the mansion guards on the patio, guns firing. The Apeman, wracked with pain all over its body, stalked towards Bach, who was firing his gun desperately at the Apeman, shouting, "No! Down! STOP!"

Foaming at the mouth with anger, the Apeman screamed and pummeled Bach with frightening force. Tatsumi winced as Bach's body was brutalized by his former pet. Just as the Apeman grabbed Bach's head to crush it, a stone spike stabbed the Apeman in the shoulder. The Apeman shrieked with fury and pain and raced towards Bulat, who hurled another stalagmite at the Beast. The rock missed, and the Apeman jumped with its full weight on top of Bulat. The impact resounded across the lawn. Sayo and Ieyasu gasped. Tatsumi cried, "BULAT!" The Apeman didn't move. For several nail-biting seconds, there was no movement at all. Suddenly, the red head of a spear burst from the Apeman's back. The spear carved a hole in the Apeman's body. The flesh caved in, and Bulat climbed out of the Apeman, his armor glistening with blood and organs. Tatsumi beamed with relief while Sayo and Ieyasu exhaled in satisfaction. Bulat walked over to them, spear in hand.

"You three all right?" Bulat asked.

"We're fine," Tatsumi responded as he picked up his sword. "Are _you_ ok?"

In response, Bulat clenched his hands, and Incursio began retracting from his body. The Apeman's blood dripped off the armor as it decomposed. The organs squelched on the ground, making Sayo's face shrivel with squick. Finally, Incursio was back to being a belt worn by Bulat, who was clean and looked none the worse for the wear. "I seem to be ok," he replied with a small smile. He looked at Tatsumi with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry about the Apeman, kid. I would've tried to-"

"It's ok, man," Tatsumi reassured him. As much as Tatsumi didn't like seeing animals die, he'd seen the uncontrollable fury in the Apeman's eyes. If push came to shove, he'd rather put the Apeman down before any of his new friends got seriously hurt or worse.

"Let's go check on Howman. I doubt he'll be walking off that beatdown," Bulat said grimly. Together, the four fighters walked over to where Bach was laying. His clothes had been torn to shreds by the Apeman's attack, revealing grievous injuries. Bach laid motionless, a small trickle of blood oozing from his mouth.

"I-Is he dead?" asked Ieyasu in shock.

Bulat inspected his body. "He's unconscious, has several bones broken, and he's taken massive internal injuries. He won't last much longer, and we won't be able to get him to a hospital in time. All we can do for him now is be with him for his final moments." Bulat lowered his mouth to Bach's and began to resuscitate him. After a few seconds, Bach regained consciousness, coughing up blood. His swollen eyes gazed upon the four people beside him.

"A…Am I dying?" he whispered, struggling to get the words out.

"Yes," Bulat replied solemnly. "It's over."

"S-So I see…" Bach wheezed, his throat barely functioning. He looked at Tatsumi, a new light in his expression. "Y…You were right about me. I…I lost my way. In my efforts…to revenge myself upon nobles…I became as cruel as they were….I disappointed them…my parents…" A small, wistful smile crossed Bach's bleeding lips. "I even captured a Beast…and now here I am, dying at the hand of it…just as the Rances died…by me…how ironic…ha.."

Bach coughed up more blood. His strangled, pained breathing grew fainter. "W…What was your n-name?" he asked Bulat.

"Bulat Humaki."

"B-B-Bulat…if there are any others like me…stop them…please."

"I will." Bulat replied with a reassuring smile.

"T-Thank you…" Bach's face was completely pale. He looked up to the night sky, the crescent moon shining on his face. He whispered, "M-Mother…Father…..I h-hope I can go…where you've gone…so I can be with you…to see you again…" He coughed a final, faint huff. His fingers stopped twitching. Bach Howman lay dead on the Legenfelt lawn, looking up to the night. Bulat respectfully put his fingers to Bach's eyelids and closed them.

"D-Damn…" muttered Ieyasu. Sayo looked on somberly. Tatsumi didn't know what to think. For the first time in his life, he'd seen a man die. All he could do was ask Bulat, "D-Did he deserve this? Could we have saved him?"

Bulat stood thoughtfully. "Suffering causes people to do terrible things to ease their pain. Bach suffered his entire childhood life. He's a product of the growing corruption of Aumilia. Who knows if we really could have saved him? We didn't know what he went through. He didn't deserve to suffer. What he deserved was justice for the wrongs done to him and his family. Unfortunately, we were too late to prevent that justice from becoming revenge." He stared at the three younger people beside him. "Let's go inside. We've got a lot of cleanup to do."

Tatsumi looked at Bach's body one final time. "All right." Sayo and Ieyasu nodded. Together, the four fighters walked into the mansion while the Enthusiasts lay on the lawn, defeated.

* * *

 _The next day-Afternoon_

"Hopefully we won't have any more incidents like this for a long time," Celia said as the family sat in the living room with everyone else.

"Indeed," added Aria. "The cleanup was tedious enough."

The family had been brought out of their safe room last night by the guards, reassured that everything had been taken care of. The Jovou police had been brought as soon as possible, where they'd worked all morning getting weapons, people, and a body of a Beast off the lawn. The weapons were confiscated by the police. Bach and the Apeman's bodies were scheduled for burial in a nearby cemetery. Enthusiasts were either taken straight to Jovou's prison or transferred to a hospital first. Bach's pocket contained a slip of paper detailing the coordinates of his hideout, which housed a fortune of treasures. The treasures were currently being stored in Jovou's secured storage, waiting to be shipped. Air, Fal, and Luna's personal belongings had been recovered and returned to them, which they were particularly happy about.

Tatsumi, Bulat, Sayo, and Ieyasu had stuck around for a bit after defeating the Enthusiasts, giving evidence to the authorities and clarifying their roles in the takedown. Bulat had gotten a special slip confirming the Enthusiasts' capture, perfect for showing to Boss. The Legenfelts offered Air, Fal, and Luna room at their mansion for the morning, which they'd graciously accepted. After leaving and spending the rest of the morning sleeping, the quadruple group ate brunch as Bulat contacted Boss on his magirod. She'd told him to keep the slip and give it to her when he got back so she could send it to the client and get compensation. After brunch, the group had gone to the Legenfelts to see how they were doing.

"At least nothing of value was lost," chimed in Air.

"And there were no injuries among us," added Luna.

"I wish I could've knocked some heads," Fal grumbled. "All we did was sit in a tight room all night!"

"And you're all right, which is most important," said Sayo in a firm tone. "We couldn't risk having you getting anywhere close to that Apeman."

"Some of the injuries that animal did were _not_ pretty," commented Tatsumi. They'd heard the hospital reports of Suka and Hitch. They would never walk again, and would probably have to spend the rest of their lives eating through a straw.

"By the way, sir," Ieyasu said to Warton, "you can have our weapons back. We apologize for taking them without permission."

Warton froze. "Oh. The weapons. Right. Ha."

Bulat eyed the man suspiciously. He'd taken a closer look at the new weapons Sayo and Ieyasu had gotten during brunch, and he was sure that the weapons weren't regular creations. "You know, Bach said something about a man named Frederick Legenfelt conning two Teigu for himself. Those Teigu wouldn't happen to be like the two weapons Sayo and Ieyasu have right now, would they?

Sayo and Ieyasu looked at Warton in confusion. Warton glanced back and forth at everyone, then sighed deeply. "I was dreading the day where I would have to confess this to my family and my servants. But it seems I cannot refrain any longer." He looked directly at Sayo and Ieyasu. "Children, the weapons you currently possess are ancient relics of magical origin. You have claimed Teigu for yourselves."

The entire group was shocked. "T-Teigu?!" Sayo and Ieyasu spluttered out at once.

"Yes. Those Teigu were stolen from a military depot by my very own father, Frederick Legenfelt. It was a shameful secret that I was not in any way looking forward to revealing."

"W-Why did your father steal it? Surely you're not telling me I didn't wed a crook?!" cried Celia.

"N-No, of course not! At least, I've tried _not_ to be."

"Daddy, _what_ is going on?! Why did you never tell us we had magical weapons in our inventory?!" demanded Aria.

Warton groaned and clasped his hands together. "From the beginning of my childhood, my father always encouraged me to be ruthless and uncompromising in the pursuit of wealth and prominence. He often took me on trips so I could see how he handled business. I was a nervous lad, doing my best to keep to myself and not have many people notice me, which troubled my father greatly. I watched as he gambled, hearing how it was my duty to quench the Legenfelt thirst for money. Finally, when I was a teenager, I saw my father, drunk as a skunk, slide his way into the mansion and dump two Teigu onto the table from his briefcase. I couldn't believe he'd done something so bold, so _unbelievable_. What good were Teigu to a family that had no soldiers in our bloodline? That was when I decided I would become a different man than my father, a man who was honest, a man who didn't rely on mob-level dealing for business, but truly _noble_ business. My father ended up drinking himself to death once I became an adult, leaving everything up to me. I married a good woman and raised an equally good daughter, and that's something my Father could never have, no matter how hard he gambled."

Celia and Aria beamed. Warton continued. "I heard about that Bach fellow. It's a shame that humans can be so cruel to one another. Though I can be a bit judgmental when it comes to the lower class, I would never treat my servants like the Rances treated him." He turned to Sayo and Ieyasu. "I'm both pleased and sorry that you've discovered those Teigu. I know from what my father told me that whoever holds a Teigu is destined for higher things. It seems you two are set for bigger goals than to be servants of mine. Whatever you want to do with your lives now is completely up to you."

Sayo and Ieyasu sat stunned. Neither of them knew what to say. Bulat motioned to Tatsumi for them to go to the patio. "Is it all right if we discuss this on the patio?" Tatsumi politely asked.

"No problem."

In a flash, the four were on the patio.

"W-W-We're mages?! The two of us?!" cried Ieyasu with astonishment.

"Yep," Bulat replied with a smirk. "Teigu-compatible humans have to have magical potential, making you two mages."

"That explains how we could escape from Suka and Hitch," Sayo realized. "We must have somehow tapped into our hidden potential!"

"Right you are. I'll let you two discuss what you want to do," Bulat said.

Sayo and Ieyasu got together and talked while Tatsumi and Bulat waited. Tatsumi looked out to the trees surrounding the mansion.

"Something on your mind, kid?" Bulat asked.

"I can't stop thinking about him, Bulat. Bach. He was the result of the decay that this empire's going through. I…I want to make a difference. I want to try to make sure that no more Bachs exist. I…I just want to help."

Bulat gazed at Tatsumi, observing the young man's face. " _This kid…he just might be the right one,_ " he thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Sayo and Ieyasu were contemplating where to guide their lives.

"S-Should we enlist in some sort of fighting force? Maybe try to become professional hunters?" Sayo suggested uncertainly.

"Screw that! How about this: we join Tatsumi and Bulat!" Ieyasu squeaked excitedly.

"W- _What_?! W-We couldn't! I'm not some kind of hired gun, and neither are you! We don't have training, we don't have experience-"

"We'll _get_ training. We'll _get_ experience. This is a new opportunity for us, Sayo! Not only can we get money and become super famous mercs, we can do it with people we like! Besides, we already promised Tatsumi we'd help him with that book he's writing, and we can be better helpers if we're with him!" Ieyasu said with fervor.

Sayo pondered. She knew that by being a mage, there were better opportunities for her in life. She would like a nicer job, but she didn't like the risk of being seriously injured or worse. On the other hand, she didn't want to compromise her promise to Tatsumi, and she would be better off receiving free training and experience for a Teigu she barely knew how to use. Besides, Ieyasu would probably join whether she said yes or not, and _someone_ had to take proper care of him so he would last more than a few days.

"I'll agree on _one_ condition," Sayo stated firmly.

"Name it!"

"One day, when we have the chance, you're treating me to Rabuhouse."

"….Seriously, that's it? Well, sure, ok."

Sayo smiled, and together they went back to Tatsumi and Bulat.

"You guys decide what you want to do?" asked Tatsumi.

"We wanna go with you!" replied Ieyasu with a grin.

"R-Really?!" Tatsumi spluttered. "W-Why?!"

"Because we both promised to help you with your book. We could also benefit _immensely_ from learning how to use our Teigu from other mages," Sayo responded.

Tatsumi was thrilled. His friends would stay with him! He turned to Bulat. "Is it possible?"

Bulat stroked his chin. "Hrmmm…I can contact Boss and let her know you two are planning to join as well," he said as he pulled his magirod from his leather jacket. "The original plan was just Tatsumi, but I can see if she's willing to open room up for you two."

He transcribed his message and sent it. Within thirty seconds his rod glowed with energy. "That was fast." He grasped the magirod and a distorted voice came from it. "WE HAVE ROOM FOR TWO MORE. BRING THEM WITH THE OTHER RECRUIT."

Sayo and Ieyasu's faces shined with excitement. The four friends went back inside.

"So, what have you decided?" Celia asked.

"My lady, we're very grateful that we could serve you for as long as we have, but we've decided on a new business opportunity. We both express our pleasure in serving you."

"I thought you would say that," Celia said sadly. She embraced both Sayo and Ieyasu. "I only hope you two find happiness in whatever path your lives lead you next."

"You're leaving, eh?" said Aria unhappily. "I suppose we have to go looking for new servants now."

"Pardon me, my lady," chimed in Air, "but Fal, Luna and I are searching for jobs. I assure you that we are credible servants for you and your family."

"Is that so?" said Warton with a hint of mischief. "Well, then, come back tomorrow, and we'll see what you can do. Deal?"

"Deal!" cried Air, Fal, and Luna at the same time with delight. Sayo and Ieyasu said a final goodbye to the Legenfelts (with Aria especially depressed at seeing them go), and by sunset the four fighters along with the girls were back in the village hut.

"You three will need a place to stay while working for the family," Sayo said as she was beginning to pack her belongings. "I'm sure the hut will be a comfy place for you."

"Really? Do we have to pay rent or anything like that?" asked Air.

"This village was built from the ground up. Practically anybody can stay here as long as they help take care of each other during emergencies."

"Sweet! I'm gonna enjoy being an independent worker," chirped Fal. "Of course, you two'll make me look better by being in a group."

"Certainly," replied Luna, rolling her eyes.

The rest of the day was filled with talk about the future, reminiscing about the attack, and the positive emotions of a group of people liberated from trouble. The night came and went, and after a quick breakfast, Ieyasu parked a new cart for the girls by the house that he'd bought with compensation form the Legenfelts. The other cart was loaded and ready to leave for Bulat's base.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want to pick up something to eat before we leave? Bulat told us the trip wouldn't have any lunch stops," Sayo said to Ieyasu.

"I'm good to go, my lady!" Ieyasu reassured her. "I'm too excited to think about food!"

He had a point. Sayo was already anticipating what the life of a mercenary would be like. She knew it would be dangerous, but at least she wouldn't have to be alone.

Tatsumi looked at the cart, thinking about the life ahead of him. Bulat walked up to him.

"You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Air, Fal and Luna were outside, ready to say goodbye.

"Thank you all for helping us," Air said gratefully. "We would've still been slaves if not for you all."

"Think nothing of it," Bulat replied. "Enjoy your new lives. We'll visit if we can!"

Together, the four fighters boarded the cart. Bulat took the wheel, and the cart started up.

"GOODBYE! SEE YOU ANOTHER TIME!" Air, Fal, and Luna shouted.

"GOODBYE!" the group of four shouted back, and before they knew it the cart was chugging along the trail to Bulat's base, where a new future for the three young people would unravel.

* * *

Author's Note

And with that, the introductory arc of Bestial Conflict is done!

It was interesting to work with one of the most controversial chapters of the original manga. I personally believe the dog rape was too ridiculous and too far, which is why it was toned down here. Darkness in a story needs to have a meaning beyond shock value, and that's one of the primary aims of this fanfic.

See you next time in 'Bestial Conflict', where Night Raid comes into the spotlight! (Though its members may be a bit different than you remember...)

PS: Chapters won't take so long to come out in the future, I promise. I've already planned out the next few chapters in advance, so story progression should be faster.

Reviews are greatly appreciated. I may decide to revise the introductory arc later depending on how far my writing quality has come. Feedback would help me confirm a decision. I don't aim for this fanfic to be something amazing, just something that's more hopeful that canon while still being an action-packed read. Thanks for reading!

Xakada


End file.
